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Osama bin Laden killed by U.S. forces

By Qcity Staff – May 2, 2011

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Nearly a decade after he inspired and sponsored the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Osama bin Laden was killed Sunday in a firefight with elite American forces.

President Obama announced the news in a brief televised statement just before midnight.

"Justice has been done," Obama said while a growing crowd cheered outside he White House and hundreds more gathered at ground zero in Manhattan to celebrate the news.

According to published reports, bin Laden’s body was quickly buried at sea.

Long believed to be hiding in caves along the Afghanistan-Pakistan boarder, the terrorist mastermind was tracked to what was described as a custom-built mansion some 80 miles from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

Obama said U.S. intelligence officials received information on bin Laden’s whereabouts last August, and for the last eight-plus months, the president said, his administration had been working to confirm that information. Finally convinced that the U.S. intelligence was good, Obama approved the military operation Sunday.

Bin Laden was shot in the head after he and his bodyguards resisted the assault, according to reports. Three other adult males also were killed in the raid.

The entire military operation is said to have taken about 40 minutes.

Watch the president's speech.