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WASHINGTON – Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks against the United States, is dead, and the U.S. is in possession of his body, a person familiar with the situation said late Sunday.
President Barack Obama was expected to address the nation on the developments Sunday night.
It was unclear where how bin Laden was killed and how the U.S. captured his body.
Officials have long believed bin Laden, the most wanted man in the world, was hiding a mountainous region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to speak ahead of the president.
By JULIE PACE, Associated Press
11:44 p.m. Bin Laden was killed in a military operation in Pakistan that U.S. President Barack Obama ordered today, Obama said.
Obama said he was told last August that the United States had developed a possible lead on bin Laden – intelligence on bin Laden hiding in a compound in Pakistan. Obama said he determined last week that the United States had actionable intelligence.
“Today at my direction, the United States directed a targeted operation against that compound,” Obama said.
Bin Laden was killed after a firefight, and forces took custody of his body, the president said. No Americans were harmed, Obama said.
11:36 p.m. U.S. President Barack Obama announced Sunday night that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is dead.
“Tonight I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that has killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda,” Obama said.
11:33 p.m. Osama bin Laden was killed by a “U.S. military asset,” according to a senior U.S. official.
Earlier, a senior U.S. official says bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in a mansion outside the Pakistani capital of Islamabad along with other family members.
11:12p.m. People chanting “USA! USA!” outside the White House.
11:10 p.m. May 1st is eight years to the day from President Bush’s famed announcement of the end of major combat operations in Iraq while standing before a “Mission Accomplished” banner.
11:06 p.m. CNN is reporting that Osama bin Laden was killed in a mansion outside of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
Updated 11:02 p.m. CNN is reporting that the United States now has the body of Osama bin Laden. The news was first reported by Jill Jackson of CBS News and by the chief of staff to former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
President Obama is expected to address the nation sometime before 11:15 p.m. Members of Congress are being briefed in advance of the announcement and then the White House will hold a briefing for reporters after his remarks. You can watch his remarks live here.
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