WASHINGTON--Osama Bin Laden was buried at sea on Monday, tipped off the deck of the USS Carl Vinson in a white weighted body bag with Islamic religious rites, a senior Defense Department official said.

At the White House briefing, Obama Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan declined to offer any information about the burial at sea, but the Defense Department offered an official who was not allowed to be identified but who did provide the first details.

Bin Laden's body received religious rites on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson, which is located in the North Arabian Sea. Bin Laden's body was flown to the Vinson from Pakistan. The official said "Preparations for at-sea burial began at 1:10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time and were completed at 2:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.

The details, from the official:

"Traditional procedures for Islamic burial were followed. The deceased's body was washed and then placed in a white sheet. The body was placed in a weighted bag, a military officer read prepared religious remarks, which were translated into Arabic by a native speaker. After the words were complete, the body was placed on a prepared flat board, tipped up, whereupon the deceased body eased into the sea."