World’s most sought-after terrorist is said
Osama bin Laden, the criminal mastermind behind al-Qaida and the world's most sought-after terrorist since the attacks of 11 September 2001, has been killed by a U.S. operation in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
In an address to the nation Sunday night, U.S. President Barack Obama said Bin Laden was killed in a "targeted operation" in Abbottabad. The operation started with an intelligence lead last August, and culminated in an operation involving a "small team of Americans".
"After a firefight they killed bin Laden. None of the Americans were killed. Pakistani cooperation "helped to lead us to him" said the U.S. President Obama.
As the news spread, crowds gathered outside the gates of the White House in Washington DC, singing the national anthem and cheering.
Osama's body is in possession of the US, according to the first leaks of reporting from the US television networks.
Osama bin Laden was declared wanted by the U.S. intelligence and security agencies since august 2010. He was believed to be hiding somewhere in Pakistan or Afghanistan.
Bin Laden was the founder of the jihadist terrorist organization al-Qaeda, responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets.
