First on chest, second on head, that's how Osama bin Laden was killed

NEW YORK: The US Navy SEALs pumped two 5.56-mm bullets to kill an unarmed al-Qaida chief in Pakistan's garrison city Abbottabad, a media report said on Monday, providing new insight into the covert operation.

"There was never any question of detaining or capturing him -- it wasn't a split-second decision. No one wanted detainees," a special-operations officer in the raid was quoted as saying by The New Yorker magazine.

Six US helicopters - two MH-60 Black Hawk and four MH-47 Chinooks - were involved in the May 2 special operation to kill bin Laden, the weekly reported in its latest edition.

"The first round, a 5.56-mm bullet, struck bin Laden in the chest. As he fell backward, the SEAL fired a second round into his head, just above his left eye," the report said while detailing the blow-by-blow account of the special operation.

On his radio, The SEAL personnel who shot the al-Qaida mastermind, reported, "For God and country--Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo." After a pause, he added, "Geronimo E.K.I.A."--"enemy killed in action."

The comprehensive report on the nearly 40 minute raid on 54-year-old Osama's hide out said that the climax began when a SEAL personnel stepped into Osama's bedroom and trained the infrared laser of his M4 on his chest.

Bin Laden, who was wearing a tan shalwar kameez and a prayer cap on his head, froze; he was unarmed, the report said, while adding Osama's two wives tried to protect him by placing themselves as human shields.