A U.S. Defense Department official says the body of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was buried at the North Arabian Sea in accordance with Islamic tradition.

The official said Tuesday that bin Laden’s body was washed in line with Islamic custom and was placed inside a weighted bag. Then a military officer read religious rites, which were translated into Arabic, before the body was dropped into the sea from the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

A senior U.S. intelligence official who requested anonymity said U.S. forces were able to confirm bin Laden’s identity at the time of their military operation when his name was called out by a woman assumed to be his wife.

U.S. media reports say that CIA officials said that a near perfect DNA match was made between bin Laden and several of his family members, further confirming his identity.