Widow says they lived in Pakistani house for five years

08 May 2011 - 02:34 By Reuters
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One of Osama bin Laden's wives told Pakistani interrogators that the al-Qaeda leader and his family had been living for five years in the compound where he was killed by US forces on Monday, a security official said this week.

He said Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah, the youngest of Bin Laden's three wives, was wounded in the raid.



Both Pakistan's army and its powerful spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, face mounting pressure to explain how it was possible for Bin Laden to live deep inside Pakistan undetected for years.

Pakistani security forces took 15 people into custody after US forces had removed Bin Laden's body, said the official. Those detained included Bin Laden's three wives and several children.





The raid on the compound, around 4km from Pakistan's main military academy, has further strained relations between the two uneasy allies. Pakistan's military top brass have expressed anger that the US did not inform them of the attack beforehand.

Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kayani has threatened a review of military ties if the US resorts to similar unilateral action. He said it had been decided to reduce the strength of US military personnel in Pakistan.

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