The US government may be forced to hand out pictures of slain terror leader Osama Bin Laden after the Associated Press news agency lodged a request under the Freedom of Information Act asking to see the pictures, Guardian reports.

The request, which was lodged on Monday, also asks for video taken by military personnel during the raid and on the USS Carl Vinson, the ship that conducted Bin Laden's burial in the North Arabian Sea, the report said.

The US government has refused to publish the pictures of Osama Bin Laden fearing that it could provoke terror outfits and may be used as propaganda to promote jihad activities.

I think it's going to be a hard road, said Scott Hodes, a former Freedom of Information and Privacy Act lawyer at the justice department.

It's not inconceivable a court is going to say to release them. But I think the government will fight because it's made its decision.

However, the Obama administration has 20 days to respond.