May 02, 2011 07:11 AM UTC

Osama bin Laden Killed in Pakistan

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• by: Colorado Pols

And there was much rejoicing. From MSNBC:

WASHINGTON – Osama bin Laden, the Saudi extremist whose al-Qaida terrorist organization killed more than 3,000 people in coordinated attacks on the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001, is dead following a military operation in Pakistan and the U.S. has recovered his body, U.S. President Barack Obama announced Sunday night.

“Justice has been done,” the president declared as crowds formed outside the White House to celebrate, singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “We Are the Champions,” NBC News reported.

Obama said bin Laden, whom he called a terrorist “responsible for the murder of thousands of American men, women and children,” was killed in Pakistan earlier in the day after a firefight in an operation that was based on U.S. intelligence.

More from CNN:

“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.

[Updated, 11:36 p.m. ET] 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.

[Updated, 11:33 p.m. ET]  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.