(VOVworld) – With President Barack Obama pushing to close Guantanamo prison, the Pentagon said on Monday that two inmates held at this prison have been transferred to Senegal.

Razor wire-topped fence at the US Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (Photo by: AFP)

There are now 89 prisoners at the US naval base in Guantanamo.  "We are taking all possible steps to reduce the detainee population at Guantanamo and to close the detention facility in a responsible manner that protects our national security," US Secretary of State John Kerry said. The Pentagon has notified the Congress it plans to transfer a dozen prisoners held at Guantanamo, according to a US official. Constructed in 2002, the prison has been used to house 799 suspected terrorists. Numerous governments and organizations have condemned the brutal treatment of the prisoners, which has included torture. It is estimated that the facility costs about $400 million per year.