U.S. officials last night said Osama bin Laden, the Al-Qaeda leader and orchestrator of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, had been killed by U.S. special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan near the capital Islamabad.

White House officials say that four others were killed in the raid, including a woman said to have been used as a human shield. One of those shot is thought to be bin Laden’s son. An American helicopter was lost due to mechanical failure, but no U.S. forces or civilians were killed.

The operation, led by the CIA, occurred nearly ten years after the 9/11 attacks. CIA director Leon Panetta notified US legislators Sunday about the news. His body was verified using DNA testing and then buried at sea “in accordance with Islamic law and traditions,” U.S. officials were quoted as saying.

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