Five US soldiers have been charged with Iraqi detainees abuse for beating and kicking them, the US military said on Monday.

"Five US soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment were charged ( on) Nov. 5 with violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice related to allegations of detainee abuse," the military said in a statement.

"The allegations stem from an incident on Sept. 7, in which three detainees were allegedly punched and kicked by the soldiers as they were awaiting movement to a detention facility," added the statement.

The military did not release names and ranks of the five soldiers as well as at which detention facility the alleged abuse took place.

It said that officials had immediately launched an investigation after discovering the abuse allegations, leading to the charges.

Nine US army reservists were convicted after allegations of prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad gained international notoriety in 2004. A number of US military personnel were charged with humiliating and assaulting detainees at the facility.

Source: Xinhua