Rob O'Neill: 'We Are Not Afraid of Isis' says Osama Bin Laden Shooter's Father

The father of the Navy Seal who shot Osama bin Laden dead said he is not afraid his family is going to be targeted by Islamist militants after his son's identity was revealed.

Rob O'Neill, 38, was named as the Special Forces unit member that killed the al-Qaeda leader in the 2011 operation in Pakistan, ahead of a scheduled interview with Fox news.

His father Tom O'Neill told MailOnline said he was not concerned the broadcast could put his family in danger.

"People are asking if we are worried that Isis will come and get us because Rob is going public," his father said referring to the Islamic State group, which broke away from al-Qaeda earlier this year.

"I say I'll paint a big target on my front door and say come and get us," he said. "My ex-wife gave birth to a man. We shouldn't be cowering in fear."

O'Neill, a married father from Butte, Montana, was personally congratulated by US president Barack Obama after the successful night operation in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad.

His identity had been previously kept secret in accordance with the crack team's code of silence.

In a 2013 interview with Esquire magazine, his wife said she feared her family could be the target of retaliatory attacks.

"We're actually looking into changing my name,' she said. "Changing the kids' names, taking my husband's name off the house, paying off our cars. Essentially deleting him from our lives, but for safety reasons."

O'Neill agreed to go public during a Fox News special titled 'The Man Who Killed Osama bin Laden" that is to be aired later this month.

He recently quit the Navy Seals after 16 years in the unit and has become a motivational speaker.

He was decorated 52 times for his service and took part in hundreds of combat mission around the world, including the rescuing a US ship captain taken hostage by Somali pirates in an incident recently made famous by Oscar-winning movie Captain Phillips.