How Osama bin Laden Was Located and Killed

After nearly a decade of hunting Osama bin Laden, a breakthrough came in August of 2010 when Bin Laden’s most trusted courier was located and identified. What followed was eight months of painstaking intelligence work, culminating in a helicopter assault in Abbottabad, Pakistan by American military and intelligence operatives that ended in the death of Bin Laden.

Updated: May 3

A Sprawling Compound in a Middle Class Neighborhood

Bin Laden and his family had been living on the second and third floors of the compound’s main building.

Updated: May 7

How the Raid Unfolded

In the days after the raid, officials gave some conflicting details of the operation. Here is a sequence of events compiled from the most current accounts given by American officials.

1Operation Begins Four helicopters carrying 79 Americans leave from Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

2Crash Around 1 a.m. Pakistan time, high walls and high temperatures cause the first helicopter to descend faster than expected. Its tail hits a wall and snaps off, but no one is hurt.

3Change of Plans A second helicopter was supposed to hover over the main building while Seal members rappelled down to the roof, but it lands on the ground as well.

4Firefight Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, Osama bin Laden’s courier, opens fire from behind a door of the guesthouse. Commandos kill the courier. His wife is caught in the cross-fire and killed.

5In the Main Building The commandos blow open the front door of the main house as well as a brick wall behind it. On the first floor, they see the courier’s brother, who they believe is preparing to fire a weapon. They shoot and kill him.

6On the Way Up As they make their way up the stairs, they kill Bin Laden’s son Khalid as he lunges toward the Seal team.

7Bin Laden Killed When the commandos reach Bin Laden’s room on the third floor, an AK-47 and a Makarov pistol are seen in arm’s reach of Bin Laden. A commando shoots Bin Laden in the left eye and chest, killing him. Bin Laden’s wife lunges at a commando and is shot in the leg but not killed.

Mission Time The Seal team is on the ground for an estimated 38 minutes. Bin Laden is killed about 20 minutes into the raid.

Verification The Seal team takes a photograph of Bin Laden’s face and transmits it to American officials. Bin Laden’s remains are flown first to Afghanistan, then to the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in the North Arabian Sea. He is buried at sea within 12 hours of his death.

Others in the Compound Three women and nine children are taken away from the compound by the Pakistani military, who arrive after the raid.

Items Seized The Seal team removes about 100 thumb drives, DVDs, computer disks, 10 computer hard drives, five computers and piles of paper documents from the house.

Updated: May 3

Finding the Town Where He Was Hiding

While Bin Laden had long been rumored to be hiding in remote tribal areas along the Pakistani-Afghan border, he had been living near the Pakistani Army’s military academy in Abbottabad, a medium-sized city.

Updated: May 3

Photos of the Compound

T. Mughal/European Pressphoto Agency

Bin Laden’s massive, highly secure compound is about eight times larger than other homes in the area.

Updated: May 3

Intelligence Leading to Bin Laden’s Killing

Four years ago — American intelligence for the first time uncovers the name of Osama bin Laden's trusted courier but cannot locate him.

Two years ago — American intelligence identifies areas in Pakistan where the courier and his brother have operated but cannot pinpoint exactly where they live.

August 1, 2010 — American intelligence locates the brothers' residence, a compound in Abbottabad. The compound is so large, secluded and secured that analysts conclude it must shelter a high value target.

September 1, 2010 — The C.I.A. begins to work with President Obama on assessments that lead them to believe that Bin Laden may be located at the compound.

Mid-February 2011 — United States government authorities determine that there was a sound intelligence basis to pursue this aggressively and develop courses of action.

March 14-28, 2011 — Mr. Obama holds a series of National Security Council meetings to develop options for capturing or killing Bin Laden.

April 29, 2011 — Mr. Obama authorizes the operation before flying to Alabama to inspect tornado damage.

May 1, 2011, 4-4:30 p.m. ET — United States forces raid Bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad around 1 a.m. Pakistan time. Bin Laden, three other men and a woman are killed in a firefight.

May 1, 2011, 11:35 p.m. ET — Mr. Obama announces Bin Laden's death to the world.

Source: Roads data from LeadDog Consulting; 2005 satellite image by Digital Globe and Google Earth; U.S. Defense Department; Central Intelligence Agency