Al-Qaeda has confirmed the death of its leader, Osama bin Laden, and has vowed revenge on the US and its allies.

The confirmation came in an Internet statement posted on a militant website. It's the first statement by the terror network since bin Laden was killed on Monday.

In the statement, al-Qaeda says their deceased leader's blood "will not be wasted" and urged followers to keep fighting. Al-Qaeda also called on Pakistanis to revolt against their leaders over the fatal US raid that took place in their country.

The statement requests the US to treat the bodies of bin Laden and those killed on Monday with care and to return the remains.

According to the group, an audio message that bin Laden recorded a week before his death will be released soon.