Drones tracked Osama bin Laden

WASHINGTON - The CIA flew new stealth drone planes on dozens of secret missions deep into Pakistan to monitor Osama bin Laden's compound before US commandos killed him, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

Citing current and former US officials, the Post said the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) used the highly sophisticated unmanned planes to fly undetected at high altitudes and provide high-resolution video months before bin Laden was killed in a dramatic May 2 assault by US special forces.

"It's not like you can just park a Predator (drone) overhead - the Pakistanis would know," a former US official told the newspaper, noting the aircraft provided more enhanced surveillance than other available tools.