Bin Laden lived in Pakistan for 5 yrs?

The world's most wanted terrorist, bin Laden had apparently been lodged in the garrison town, just 60 km north of Islamabad for five years while America hunted him in remote hills of Pak-Afghan border and Pakistan vehemently denied that he was within the country.

Quoting unnamed senior military officials, Pakistan's Geo News channel reported that the Yemeni woman revealed that bin Laden lived a secluded life, confining himself in two or three rooms and never going outside.

The channel also reported that the women found in the compound included bin Laden's three wives and one of them was injured in U.S. firing. A killed woman who was earlier described as bin Laden's wife was actually the wife of one his guards, the report said.

The new claims by bin Laden's wife have raised questions on Pakistani assertions fervently denying that any part of their administrative machinery was involved in providing a support system to the al Qaeda chief responsible for the devastating Sep. 2001 attacks on the U.S. that killed 3,000 people.

Pakistani government has faced high volume criticism over the past week after it was discovered bin Laden was lodged barely 60 km from the country's capital in a town with significant military establishments.

Pakistan, which has time and again been accused of harbouring terrorists and is believed to back militants as part of its 'national security' provisions against India according to leaked U.S. diplomatic cables, once again denied having any links to bin Laden.

Slamming the U.S. for violating its sovereignty, Pakistan, which allegedly tipped off bin Laden every time American forces were close to nabbing him, according to the WikiLeaks cables, claimed that intelligence inputs from its own agencies helped them find and kill bin Laden.

The White House denied these claims, asserting that they had not received any intelligence from the Pakistani side about bin Laden's location and that the operation on the night of May 1-2 was an unilateral operation.

Bin Laden, was killed in a 40 minute covert operation by U.S. forces after they infiltrated his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan and quickly buried him in the North Arabian Sea, according to media reports.

The accomplishment, which comes as a major boost for the President Barack Obama who faces voters next year, was celebrated world over as people in the U.S. even took to the streets celebrating the death of bin Laden.

Meanwhile, terrorist group al Qaeda confirmed the death of their leader in the hands of U.S. forces in Pakistan by putting up a statement on militant websites and warning America of dire consequences, media reports said on Friday.

Dated May 3, the statement signed by "the general leadership" of the group, said the death of bin Laden would not go in vain and urged the people of Pakistan to rebel against their government.

"We stress that the blood of the holy warrior sheik, Osama bin Laden, God bless him, is precious to us and to all Muslims. We will remain, God willing, a curse chasing the Americans and their agents, following them outside and inside their countries," it said.

"Soon, God willing, their happiness will turn to sadness. Their blood will be mingled with their tears," the statement said, warning reprisal attacks again America, media reports said.