Islamabad, Apr 27 (IANS): Pakistan early Friday deported slain Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's three widows and 11 other family members to Saudi Arabia.

They had been in custody since the US special forces killed the Al Qaeda chief in a raid on his hideout in Pakistan's Abbotabad town in May last year.

The family members, including the widows - two Saudi Arabians and a Yemeni - were handed over to Saudi officials prior to their departure, Xinhua reported.

The Yemeni widow and her five children will be later sent to Yemen from Saudi Arabia.

A large contingent of police were deployed minutes before they left for the Benazir Bhutto International Airport from a house here where they had been held.

A Pakistani court April 2 had sentenced the widows to 45 days in prison on charges of illegally entering Pakistan. They had already served a month of their sentence prior to the verdict and a judge ordered their deportation on completion of the sentence.

The government had delayed their deportation due to incomplete travel documents.