A prisoner has been found dead at the Guantanamo Bay naval base, two days after he was apparently found unconscious in his cell at the isolated, high-security prison, the US military has said.

The unidentified prisoner’s name and nationality were not disclosed pending notification of family, military officials said on Tuesday.

The detainee was found "unconscious and unresponsive" by guards during a routine check, the US Southern Command said.

"After extensive lifesaving measures had been performed, the detainee was pronounced dead by a physician," it said in a statement.

The prisoner was the ninth detainee to die at the facility since it was opened in January 2002.
Of the 779 men held there, 167 remain.

About half of the Guantanamo detainees have been cleared for release, but it was not known if he was among that group.

The prisoner had previously been a hunger striker whose weight dropped low enough that he was force-fed nutritional supplements.

PHOTO CAPTION

Detainees in orange jumpsuits sit in a holding area under the watchful eyes of Military Police at Camp X-Ray at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during in-processing to the temporary detention facility in this January 11, 2002 handout photo.

Al-Jazeera