White House officials say the leader of Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, is dead and his body has been recovered by US authorities.

President Barack Obama is to make the announcement shortly. Bin Laden is top of the US's most wanted list. He's accused of responsibility for a number of atrocities, including the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.

It's a major accomplishment for Obama and his national security team, to fulfill the goal once voiced by Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, to bring to justice the mastermind of the 9-11 attacks.