Osama Bin Laden’s final hideout was near Pak army base: 5 shocking revelations from new series

Global attention descended upon India and Pakistan recently when the two engaged in a tense military confrontation post latter’s missile and drone attacks towards the Indian territory after military strikes at Pakistani terror targets were carried out under ‘Operation Sindoor’ by the Indian military on May 7. 

Ayman al-Zawahiri with Osama bin Laden during a 2001 interview (Reuters)

Amidst this escalating geopolitical spotlight, the newly released Netflix docuseries ‘American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden’ has further stirred interest, casting a renewed focus on one of Pakistan’s most infamous historical footnotes: the final hideout of 9/11 mastermind and terror outfit al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, a house in Abbottabad. This renewed focus gains added significance in current affairs, as investigations into the April 22 Pahalgam attack have uncovered links between the terrorists and terror networks operating from Pakistan.

Osama bin Laden’s final hideout in Pakistan’s Abbottabad was a location that was both surprisingly urban and strategically concealed, which raised suspicion of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) over the possible presence of the 9/11 mastermind. 

Despite inconclusive evidence, key clues of Osama bin-Laden’s presence in the highly-secured Abbottabad compound led to the then US president Barrack Obama giving nod for the final operation to get the al-Qaeda chief. 

• Facts on Osama bin Laden’s final hideout

– Location near military installations

Situated approximately 1.3 kilometers from the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, the compound’s proximity to a major military training facility raised questions about local awareness of its inhabitants. Despite its secluded appearance, the location was within a well-populated urban area, which may have contributed to its ability to remain undetected for years.

– A family that never stepped out

According to the findings revealed by the CIA in docuseries, the compound was first found to be housing two families, one of which was of Abu Ahmed, the ‘courier’ guy of the al-Qaeda founder and a key operative. Later, surveillance on the compound led to the discovery of a third family, which never stepped out. This raised CIA’s suspicion. According to information on the web, the compound was constructed between 2003 and 2005, with a third floor added later to accommodate Osama bin Laden’s living quarters. 

– Unusually high walls, no trash discarded

The compound was designed with minimal windows and surrounded by 12- to 18-foot walls topped with barbed wire, it featured two security gates and lacked telephone or internet connections. Residents burned their trash to avoid detection, and the compound was equipped with satellite dishes for limited communication, as shown in the docuseries.

Abu Ahmed also put batteries in his cellphone unless he was “well away from Abbottabad”.

– Minimised contact with outside world

While cameras were installed near the compound to get conclusive evidence, the CIA also sent a doctor to the house to provide polio shots and get a sample of blood, with the hope that they would be able to use that to verify that it was bin Laden’s family. But none of it worked out. Overtime, the CIA began to track women and children moving in and out of the compound.   

– Austere living conditions, Western inclusions

Despite the compound’s fortified exterior, the interior of bin Laden’s compound was later found to be modest, with residents using foam mattresses and forgoing air conditioning, as per reports. However, the compound also contained items with Western influences, including branded medications, Disney movies, according to a history.com report. CNN’s Peter Bergen, who visited the compound, reported observing medications and hair dye in bin Laden’s room, further corroborating these findings.

• How CIA tried to ascertain Osama bin

At one point, CIA surveillance setup observed an individual who would come out of the house and walk in circles, “like a prisoner in a prison yard”, every day. The CIA called this suspect the ‘pacer’. Using a technique called ‘mensuration’, in which the direction of sun’s rays and the shadow it cast, to figure out the height of whatever is making the shadow. The CIA found the precise height of the shadow to be that of Osama bin Laden. 

Weeks after the unprecedented lead, the then US President Barrack Obama gave nod for the raid to get Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, taking a big chance as a conclusive proof or a clear footage ascertaining bin Laden’s presence in that compound was still not there. 

• US Navy SEAL’s raid

The US Navy SEAL Team 6 on May 2, 2011, then conducted a successful raid which resulted in Osama bin Laden’s death, and brought his body with them, which was later buried in the Indian Ocean. The US buried the body at sea as it was concerned that if it was buried on land, his grave could become a shrine for his followers, potentially leading to further instability.

What happened to compound where Osama bin Laden was found?

The Pakistani government demolished the compound in February 2012. The demolition was part of efforts to prevent the site from becoming a shrine for supporters and to remove any remaining evidence that could attract unwanted attention.