Dana L. Brundage | May 01, 2011 11:12PM EDT
UPDATE 11:45 p.m. EST
President Obama announced Sunday night that Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the terror September 11 attacks on the U.S., is confirmed dead.
Bin Laden, a founder and a leader of al-Qaeda, was killed Sunday after a small team of U.S. troops launched a targeted attack on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where the terrorist was located. A firefight ensued and bin Laden was killed. U.S. troops took his body into custody and later conducted a burial at sea.
U.S. embassies and other government sites around the world were on alert Monday and the State Department issued a travel alert for Americans abroad in case of retaliation following the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Obama said that he was first briefed on a possible lead of bin Laden's whereabouts in August 2010, and decided last week to take action after receiving what he referred to as "enough intelligence" to go forward with an attack on bin Laden's location.
The announcement of bin Laden's death comes nine years, seven months and 20 days after the September 11 attacks.
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11:12 p.m. EST:
President Obama is expected to announce Sunday night that Osama bin Laden has been killed in Pakistan and that his body is now in U.S. custody, according to reports.
News of bin Laden's death was first reported at 10:45 p.m. Sunday night. According to reports, bin Laden was killed by armed U.S. forces, but when the attack occurred is unknown at this time.
Obama is expected to make a statement shortly.
-- Contact Dana L. Brundage at dbrundage@joc.com . Follow her on Twitter @Brundage_joc.
