WASHINGTON - Osama bin Laden was unarmed when he was confronted by US commandos at his Pakistani hideout, the White House said Tuesday as new details emerged about the audacious raid that killed the world's most wanted terrorist.

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The White House said it was considering whether to release photos of bin Laden after he was killed but that the photos were "gruesome" and could be inflammatory.

Other details that emerged Tuesday: One of bin Laden's wives tried to rush the US assaulters and was shot in the leg. High temperatures caused a lumbering helicopter carrying elite commandos to make a hard landing.

And as Navy SEALs swept through the massive compound, they handcuffed those they encountered with plastic zip ties and pressed on in pursuit of their target, code-named Geronimo.