Stunning video shows US Delta Force commandos pulling off a daring, predawn raid to capture one of Osama bin Laden’s suspected key henchmen in Libya.
At least three members of the elite Army unit can be seen leaping out of their white van as it pulls up next to the car of accused killer and al Qaeda computer nerd Abu Anas al-Libi outside his home in the footage obtained by the Washington Post.
Libi, 49, had just returned to his upscale Tripoli neighborhood after morning prayers at the local mosque when he was ambushed. It was still dark, 6:38 a.m. local time last Oct. 5.
The masked commandos blocked Libi’s vehicle from the front with a car as the suspect was thrown into the van. Meanwhile, a third car in the Delta convoy blocked off the street from the rear.
The US soldiers were heavily armed and came out with their guns drawn — although it doesn’t appear a shot was fired.
The three vehicles then all sped off with their catch.
Seconds later, three men and a woman can be seen running out of Libi’s home and scouring the street for any sign of him and his abductors.
The entire capture was caught bya neighborhood surveillance camera.
After his capture, even Libi’s relatives seemed to be impressed with his abductors.
At the time, his son was quoted as saying that the men who had grabbed his father “were probably the Americans” because “they moved very well, like professionals.”
The operation took just over a minute to complete — and ended what had been a 13-year manhunt for Libi, who was once on the FBI’s Most Wanted terrorist list.
The suspected bin Laden buddy was wanted in the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed more than 220 people, including 12 Americans, and left thousands more injured.
He is believed to have hidden in Iran for years after the attacks before making it back to his Libyan homeland.
After being captured, he was taken to a Libyan military base, then transferred to a US warship off the country’s coast and brought to Manhattan.
He is currently being held in a special detention center across from the federal courthouse in Manhattan while awaiting trial.
In addition to being accused of helping to plan the embassy attacks, the computer expert is suspected of helping al Qaeda recruit disciples over the Internet.
Libi has maintained his innocence and is said to now be singing to the feds about the terror network.