Four months before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks that killed more than 3,000 Americans, President Barack Obama confirmed that the United States killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida and mastermind behind the attacks.

Al-Qaida has also been blamed for attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa that killed 231 and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 American soldiers while the ship was stationed in Yemen.

Obama said he had been briefed last August on a possible lead to bin Laden’s location. Bin Laden had been in hiding since the attacks, resurfacing only via occasional videotaped messages.

After determining the lead was solid enough to move on, Obama approved an order for a U.S. strike team to enter a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Bin Laden was killed after a brief firefight. The team then took possession of his body and confirmed his identity via DNA testing.  

No Americans were harmed during the operation.

“”Today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the spirit of the American people,”” Obama said.