The surprise development effectively ends a pitched court battle between Apple and the Obama administration.

The government told a federal court on Monday without any details that it had accessed data on gunman Syed Farook’s iPhone and no longer requires Apple’s assistance.

Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik died in a gun battle with police after killing 14 people in San Bernardino, California, in December.

Apple did not immediately comment on the development.

A US magistrate last month ordered Apple to provide the FBI with software to help it hack into Farook’s work-issued iPhone.

The order touched off a debate pitting digital privacy rights against national security concerns.

AP