Osama bin Laden was not armed when US SEALS charged

May 04, 2011 |

Washington

Tags:

Osama Bin Laden

Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was not armed when he was shot and killed by US commandos, but many others in his Pakistani compound did have guns, the White House said on Tuesday.

"There was concern bin Laden would oppose the capture operation and indeed, he did resist," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.

Bin Laden's wife tried to rush the commandos as they stormed into the room in the Pakistani compound late on Sunday where the Al-Qaeda leader was. She was shot in the leg, but not killed.

"Bin Laden was then shot and killed. He was not armed," Carney said, adding that several other people in the building were armed and there was a 'volatile firefight'.

US officials had earlier claimed the terror lord's wife was killed in action. But that report has been reversed.

On Monday, US officials had said the woman had acted as a human shield to protect bin Laden and had been killed in the firefight.

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