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- On May 2, 2011, under orders from President Obama, a special operations unit raided the compound and killed bin Laden. In announcing the successful operation, President Obama said, “Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own.
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Aug 29, 2011 · The raid began around 1 a.m. local time (4 p.m. EST on May 1, 2011 in the United States), when 23 U.S. Navy SEALs in two Black Hawk helicopters descended on the compound in Abbottabad, a tourist ...
- How SEAL Team Six Took Out Osama bin Laden | HISTORY
Print Page. (Credit: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images) On May 2,...
- Osama bin Laden - Death, Childhood & Spouse | HISTORY
On May 1, 2011, American soldiers killed al Qaeda leader...
- How SEAL Team Six Took Out Osama bin Laden | HISTORY
t. e. On May 2, [a] 2011, Osama bin Laden, the founder and first leader of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was shot and killed at his compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad by United States Navy SEALs of SEAL Team Six (also known as DEVGRU). [1] The operation, code-named Operation Neptune Spear, was carried out in a CIA -led mission ...
- Overview
- Intelligence linked a courier to a large compound in Pakistan.
- SEAL Team Six starts training for the raid in a replica of the compound.
- Operation Neptune Spear begins on May 2, 2011.
- U.S. forces retrieved valuable intelligence from the compound.
- The death of bin Laden had global implications.
- HISTORY Vault: 9/11 Documentaries
The operation to kill the world's most wanted terrorist was the result of years of planning and training.
On May 2, 2011, U.S. Special Forces raided an al-Qaeda compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed the world’s most wanted terrorist: Osama bin Laden. The entire operation, which lasted only 40 minutes from start to finish, was the culmination of years of calculated planning and training.
Ultimately, bin Laden was found and killed within nine minutes, and SEAL Team Six was credited with carrying out a nearly flawless mission.
Here's what led to the death of Osama bin Laden.
Around 2007, U.S. intelligence officials discovered the name of one of bin Laden’s closest couriers, whom they speculated may have been involved in supporting or harboring the terrorist.
By late 2010, analysts were able to link the courier to a large, highly-secured compound in Abbottabad, a town about 35 miles north of Islamabad.
The compound’s unusual and extensive security features, along with further intelligence information, prompted suspicion that the residence was Osama bin Laden’s hideout.
Aerial view of Osama bin Laden's compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, made by the CIA.
On April 29, 2011, President Barack Obama authorized a small special operations team, known as SEAL Team Six, to carry out a raid on the compound. The team began intense training for the operation, which included practicing in a life-sized replica of the compound.
The actual mission, dubbed Operation Neptune Spear, officially started in the early-morning hours of May 2, Pakistan time (afternoon of May 1, Eastern Daylight Time).
May 1 (EDT)
1:25 p.m. – President Obama, along with other top officials, formally approve the execution of Operation Neptune Spear.
1:51 p.m. – Stealth Black Hawk helicopters take off from Afghanistan, carrying a group of 25 Navy SEALs.
3:30 p.m. – The choppers land on the compound in Abbottabad. One helicopter crashes, but there are no injuries. The mission continues, uninterrupted.
3:39 p.m. – Osama bin Laden is located on the third floor of the compound and is shot in the head, above the left eye.
In addition to killing the man who was considered the mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, U.S. forces snagged valuable items from the compound during the raid.
Ten computer hard drives, five computers and more than 100 storage devices were retrieved. Osama bin Laden’s personal journal was also recovered.
The assassination of Osama bin Laden was a significant victory for the U.S. government and the American people at large. For many families of 9/11 victims, bin Laden’s death symbolized justice and retribution.
The terrorist leader was not only a major player within al-Qaeda but also a figurehead that attracted supporters and recruits from around the world.
International reactions to bin Laden’s death ranged from favorable to mixed. Some Arab countries and leaders condemned the actions of the United States.
Still, SEAL Team Six’s bold raid to take down bin Laden was an extraordinary operation that most experts regard as a resounding success.
Explore this collection of extraordinary documentary films about one of the most challenging days in U.S. history.
Watch Now
- Julie Marks
- 3 min
Was killing legal? The US operation to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden was months in the planning but took just minutes to complete. In a daring raid 120 miles (192km) inside Pakistan, a team of US...
May 2, 2011 · May 1, 2011. WASHINGTON — Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the most devastating attack on American soil in modern times and the most hunted man in the world, was killed in a firefight...
- 3 min
- Peter Baker, Helene Cooper,Mark Mazzetti
Dec 16, 2009 · On May 1, 2011, American soldiers killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden at his compound near Islamabad, Pakistan.
Jun 7, 2023 · The Attacks of 9/11. Meanwhile, bin Laden and al Qaeda were plotting to attack America in a more direct and deadly way. On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four airliners in the...
