The youngest son of Osama bin Laden may have escaped the U.S. commando raid on the compound in northern Pakistan where the al-Qaeda terror chief was killed, according to Pakistani security officials.

Pakistani officials reportedly said that one member of the bin Laden household has seemingly “disappeared”, raising even more questions about who really was killed at the Abbottabad residence.

According to media reports, three of bin Laden’s widows, who are now in custody of Pakistani authorities, told investigators that one son has not been seen since the attack last Sunday.

The son (who may or not be missing) is named Hamza bin Laden. The 20-year-old was believed to be the closest confidant of his notorious father.

Initially, the US government claimed that Hamza was killed during the raid in Abbottabad. However, later they said his 22-year-old brother Khalid had been killed instead.

Bin Laden had at least five wives and as many as 24 children, perhaps more.

A Pakistani intelligence official told The Daily Telegraph newspaper of Britain: “We don’t know if it was his son. Someone, one person may have been in the compound that we now cannot account for if - we believe what we are being told.”

Hamza has been described as the “crown prince of terror” by British tabloids. On the third anniversary of the July 2005 bombings in London, he reportedly appeared on an Islamic extremist website where he read a poem calling for the “destruction” of America, Britain, France and Denmark.

In the video, Hamza allegedly said: Oh God, reward the fighters hitting the infidels and defectors. Oh God, guide the youth of the Islamic nation and let them assist with the fighters' plans. God, be pleased with those who want to go for jihad - and blind those who are watching and want to capture them. Grant victory to the Taliban over the gangs of infidels.

The Telegraph reported that Hamza, who was reportedly linked to the murder of liberal Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto in 2007, is believed by intelligence agencies to be a possible future leader of al-Qaeda.

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