Two dozen members of the US Navy's SEAL Team Six carried out the helicopter assault on Osama bin Laden's fortified compound deep inside Pakistan and one shot him in the head, killing him instantly.
Since 2001, SEAL Team Six has been involved in hunting down "High Value Targets" in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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The US helicopter that crashed at bin Laden's compound. No Americans were injured. Photo: Reuters
The unit, based at Dam Neck, close to Virginia Beach in Virginia, is one of 15 SEAL special forces teams but the only one whose existence is not acknowledged officially.
Members are recruited from the other SEAL teams, making them an elite within an elite.
The SEAL acronym is made up from SEa, Air and Land, signifying their ability to operate on and under the sea, in the air and on land.
The force was formed in Vietnam, and numbers about 6500, with 2000 assigned to special forces duties at any one time. They are part of the US Joint Special Operations Command.
Like their US army comrades in Delta Force, the identities of members of SEAL Team Six are closely guarded and the unit is cloaked in mystique.
A diagram from the CIA shows the layout of Osama bin Laden's compound. Photo: CIA
SEAL Team Six was formed after the failed attempt to rescue American hostages held in Iran in 1980, which showed there was a gap in American counter-terrorist capabilities.
In 1987, the name was changed to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group but continued to be known within the US military as Team Six.
A number of SEALs have been killed on secret operations in Afghanistan. Their identities are released but the details of their deaths shielded by a cover story, often that they were killed in a training accident. - The Telegraph, London
Embassy closed: The United States says it is closing its embassy in Pakistan's capital and consulates in three other cities to the public until further notice, a day after bin Laden was killed.
"The US embassy in Islamabad and the consulates in Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi are closed for routine business to the general public until further notice," the embassy said in a statement.
The statement came amid fears of reprisals after bin Laden was killed in a raid by US special forces on a compound near the Pakistani capital on Monday.
Pakistan links: The United States has warned it will probe bin Laden's support network in Pakistan, raising tough questions for its anti-terrorism ally after killing the al-Qaeda kingpin in a daring raid.
US President Barack Obama's top anti-terrorism adviser John Brennan said it was "inconceivable" bin Laden did not have a support network in Pakistan.
US officials are puzzled by the comfortable surroundings of the Abbottabad compound where bin Laden lived, and the fact that his presence in a fortified, upscale building did not attract Pakistani authorities' suspicions.
In another sign of mistrust between Washington and Islamabad, Mr Brennan said US officials did not notify Pakistan of the raid until its helicopters exited Pakistani air space with bin Laden's remains.
Pakistan President's response: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has defended his country against accusations it did not do enough to track down bin Laden.
In an op-ed in The Washington Post headlined ''Pakistan did its part'', Mr Zardari said: ''We in Pakistan take some satisfaction that our early assistance in identifying an al-Qaeda courier ultimately led to this day.''
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