Bin Laden Given Religious Funeral Prior to Sea Burial
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Usama bin Laden was given a religious funeral prior to his burial at sea, senior military officials told Fox News.
Religious rites were conducted on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier at about 1:10 a.m. Monday in the Persian Gulf.
In accordance with Islamic practice, bin Laden was washed and wrapped in a white sheet before buried at sea at 2 a.m. local time, senior U.S. military and intelligence officials said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bin Laden, who resisted capture, was "living rather comfortably" in the compound, an official told Fox News.
Senior administration officials said the DNA testing alone offered near 100 percent certainty that bin Laden was among those shot dead. Photo analysis by the CIA, confirmation by a woman believed to be bin Laden's wife on site, and matching physical features like bin Laden's height all helped confirmed the identification.
Still, it was unclear if the world would ever get visual proof.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Senior U.S. officials said bin Laden was killed toward the end of the firefight, which took place in a building at a compound north of Islamabad, the Pakistani capital. An official familiar with the operation said bin Laden fired on U.S. forces and was hit by a barrage of carefully aimed return fire.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because aspects of the operation remain classified.
The official says two dozen SEALs in night-vision goggles dropped into the high-walled compound in Pakistan by sliding down ropes from Chinook helicopters in the overnight raid.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The SEALs retrieved bin Laden's body and turned the remaining detainees over to Pakistani authorities.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.