Osama Bin Laden killed by US troops

Al-Qaeda founder and leader Osama Bin Laden has been killed by US forces. The announcement broke late Sunday evening in America after sources within the White House leaked information to the US media.

News spread quickly on Twitter and other social networks and within the hour nearly every news channel around the globe was broadcasting the story.

President Barack Obama gave an address to the nation and the world in which said US intelligence learned of Osama's possible whereabouts in August 2010. After months of following leads an operation was launched last night. He is said to have been holed up at a mansion in Abidabad in Pakistan.

Osama Bin Laden was killed in a ground operation after a small team of US troops engaged in a fire-fight before taking custody of his body. No Americans were harmed, and every precaution was taken to minimise civilian casualties, President Obama said.

Later reports said that amongst the others killed were two adult males and a woman said to have been used as a human shield.

Soon after reports emerged of the al-Qaeda leader's death people began to gather outside the White House in Washington DC and chanting "USA, USA" and singing the Star Spangled Banner.

CNN, Fox News, Al Jazeera, BBC, Sky News, Channel News Asia and CCTV News all ran with the Osama bin Laden story and broadcast the presidential announcement live. In China, domestic networks did not appear to break the story however.

Bin Laden was accused of being behind a number of atrocities, including the attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001. He was top of the US "most wanted" list and a reward of $25 million had been offered for his death or capture.

Although his death will be seen as a major blow to al-Qaeda, it will raise fears of reprisal attacks. Indeed the president said the fight against terrorism was far from over and that America still needs to remain alert [BBC / Sky / CNN / Fox / Al Jazeera]

tvnewswatch, Beijing, China