(CNN) - Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil, is dead, officials said - almost 10 years after the attacks that killed about 3,000 people.

The founder and leader of al Qaeda was killed by U.S. forces Monday in a mansion in Abbottabad, north of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, along with other family members, a senior U.S. official told CNN.

In an address to the nation Sunday night, U.S. President Barack Obama called bin Laden's death "the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda."

"Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan," Obama said. "A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body." Read More

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At least one person is dead and five are still missing after an explosion leveled several homes in Allentown, Pennsylvania, authorities said early Thursday morning.

Robert Scheirer, Allentown's fire chief, told American Morning’s Kiran Chetry that the fire is out, and gas lines in the area have been turned off. He said the emergency response is considering this a recovery at this point.

“We believe it to be a natural gas explosion,” he told Chetry. “We don’t know if the leak was inside the home or out on the street. That all has to be investigated.”

Chief Scheirer also said about 500 people from Gross Towers were also evacuated and taken to shelters in the city.

Watch the entire interview here.