Bin Laden raid

Navy SEAL mission

The Bin Laden raid was the 2011 U.S. military operation that killed Osama bin Laden, founder of al-Qaeda and architect of the September 11 attacks.

Navy SEALs flew into Abbottabad, Pakistan, stormed bin Laden's compound, and killed him.

The raid ended a nearly decade-long manhunt and became shorthand for precision counterterrorism operations: They want a Bin Laden raid, not a prolonged ground war.

AbbottabadPakistani hill station
SEALElite naval special operator
helicopterRotary-wing aircraft
compoundCombined into one
PakistanSouth Asian nation

Osama · most wanted · mission · stealth · covert · assault · CIA · terrorist · hideout · extraction · double tap · special forces · operation · intelligence · capture · military · assassination · bunker

Opposites

mission outcome

Bin Laden raidBlack Hawk Down

Downed chopper in Somalia

Bay of Pigs invasion · Bay of Pigs · intelligence failure

military action type

Bin Laden raidhostage rescue

Freeing people held against will

extraction mission

geopolitical stance

Bin Laden raiddiplomatic solution

Conflict resolved through envoys

negotiated settlement · prisoner exchange · diplomatic engagement · peace talks · restraint

Family

laden, raid, raids, raided, raiding, raider, raiders, lade, lading

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Mostly American · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG-13