DEADLY FORCE

New Details on bin Laden Raid

Killed by two gunshots to the face.

New details are emerging on the brazen U.S. mission that took down Osama bin Laden. A team of Navy SEALS was flown from Afghanistan for the mission. The day of the mission, MH-60 helicopters took off from Ghazi Air Base in Pakistan to Abbottabad about 30 miles from the center of Islamabad. It is not clear how the helicopters evaded the Pakistani air-defense network. The CIA knew by February of this year that Osama bin Laden was living at the compound in Pakistan. To prepare for the mission, a replica of the compound was built in order for the team to carry out practice raids, which were performed in early April. Once the raid began, it lasted about 40 minutes and in the end 22 people were killed or captured. During the gunfight, bin Laden was killed by two shots to the left side of his face. His body was placed aboard one of the choppers with the returning soldiers.