Osama bin Laden, the world’s most-wanted man and the elusive mastermind behind the devastating Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, was slain in his luxury hideout in Pakistan in a firefight with U.S. forces, President Barack Obama said Sunday.

DNA evidence has proven that Osama bin Laden is dead, with 99.9 per cent confidence, according to U.S. Administration officials.

Bin Laden’s death at a compound in Pakistan ended a manhunt that spanned a frustrating decade, and jubilant crowds gathered outside the White House and at ground zero in New York, where the twin towers were brought down by bin Laden’s hijackers 10 years ago.