Bin Laden's daughter claims father was 'captured alive' before being killed
Osama bin Laden's daughter has claimed her father was captured alive before being shot dead by US special forces.
The claim about the death of the world's most wanted man was reported by Al Arabiya.
The report puts further pressure on the White House after a spokesman already confirmed bin Laden was not armed.
But spokesman Jay Carney said the al Qaeda leader "did resist" during the raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
"There was concern bin Laden would oppose the capture operation and indeed, he did resist," he said.
Reporters were later briefed he "appeared as if he was reaching for a weapon".
However, CIA Director Leon Panetta said the US Navy SEALs that carried out the mission knew they might have to take bin Laden's life.
"The authorities we have on bin Laden are to kill him. And that was made clear," he said.
"But it was also, as part of their rules of engagement, if he suddenly put up his hands and offered to be captured, then they would have the opportunity, obviously, to capture him. But that opportunity never developed."
Panetta also told American TV channel NBC that a photo of a dead Bin Laden would “ultimately” be released. Carney said bin Laden's wife tried to rush the US troops as they stormed into the room where her husband was - dispelling speculation he used her as a human shield.
She was shot in the leg but not killed as first reported.
"Bin Laden was then shot and killed. He was not armed," he added, saying several other people in the building were armed and that there was a "volatile firefight."
Officials at the White House have previously said the al Qaeda leader would have been captured alive had there been the opportunity to do so.
After bin Laden's death, the ground commander of the raid, who was supposed to use the code word "Geronimo" for bin Laden's killing or capture, instead transmitted the more emotional "For God and country, Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo," MSNBC reported.
Another senior US official said that footage existed of both the operation to get the terrorist and his burial at sea.
One of the wives of the terror chief has already identified the body and DNA tests compared with family members showed a "virtually 100%" match.