The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson conducts flight operations while underway in the Arabian Gulf in this US Navy handout photo dated April 4, 2011. He may have been America's enemy number one, but after US forces killed him in Pakistan, Osama bin Laden was afforded Islamic religious rites by the US military as part of his surprise at-sea burial on Monday. The body was transported to the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which brought him to his final resting place somewhere in the north Arabian Sea. [Photo/Agencies]

Osama bin Laden was buried by the US military at sea in accordance with the terror mastermind's own religious customs, as no country would accept his remains, a senior US officials said Monday.

The burial was conducted aboard aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in the North Arabian Sea, an official said on the conditions of anonymity during a background briefing with media. It took place within 24 hours of the al-Qaida leader's death, he said.

"Preparations for at-sea [burial] began at 1:10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (0510 GMT) and were completed at 2 a.m. (0600 GMT)," the official said.

"The body was placed in a weighted bag. A military officer read prepared religious remarks, which were translated into Arabic by a native speaker," he added.

Afterward, bin Laden's body was placed onto a flat board, which was then elevated upward on one side and the body slid off into the sea.

CIA and Defense Department officials are sure it was the body of bin Laden. CIA specialists compared photos of the body with known photos of bin Laden and said with 95-percent certainty it was the terrorist leader, a senior intelligence official said.

In addition, the intelligence official said, bin Laden's wife identified him by name while the strike team was still in the compound.

Specialists "performed the initial DNA analysis matching a virtually 100-percent DNA match of the body against the DNA of several of bin Laden's family members."

John Brennan, Assistant to the President for homeland security and counterterrorism, also confirmed in a White House briefing the burial of bin Laden's remains "was done in strict conformance with Islamist precepts and practices."

"It was prepared in accordance with the Islamic requirements. We early on made provisions for that type of burial, and we wanted to make sure that it was going to be done, again, in strict conformance," said Brennan.