Travel3 min(s) read
A travel vlogger who goes by Luke On The Move on YouTube recently visited the site where former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden spent his final years. The creator, who has nearly 47,000 subscribers on the platform, documented his walk through the historic property located in Bilal Town, Pakistan, in a video shared online.
Instead of finding a heavily guarded fortress or a grim memorial, the traveler discovered an open, empty space occupied by neighborhood children. The original structure was torn down by local authorities in 2012 to prevent the area from becoming a tourist attraction or a gathering spot for extremists.
Upon stepping onto the site, the vlogger observed that the ground now serves an entirely different community purpose. The transformation of the location left a strong impression on him right as he arrived.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Osama bin Laden's compound right here in Bilal Town. We've made it. So everybody, my first impression of the compound is that it's been turned into a wonderful cricket field," he said in the video.
He walked around the cleared plot of land, chatting with local boys who were playing games where the three-story house once stood. The vlogger noted the sheer size of the plot compared to nearby homes. He pointed out the remnants of the foundation and explained how the leader stayed behind the tall exterior walls for years to avoid capture.
"So clearly, as you can see, this place is no longer some big threat or negative area. It's just full of kids playing cricket, having fun, enjoying themselves. This is a harmless place," he observed while interacting with the group.
During his walk, the children began picking up concrete rubble from the ground and handing the fragments to him as gifts. Touching the debris brought back the history of the 2011 raid conducted by elite American forces.
"That is crazy to be standing here touching this. The US Navy SEALs arrived here at 3:00 in the morning to take out the world's most wanted man. Wow. A piece of the compound. Wow. Crazy. They're just giving me pieces of Osama bin Laden's compound," he added.
Before leaving the area, the vlogger highlighted how close the site was to a Pakistani military academy, which sits just one mile away. He then joined the kids for a game of cricket before continuing his walk out of the neighborhood.
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