Libya's National Transitional Council has confirmed Muammar Gaddafi was buried at an unknown location in the Libyan desert at dawn.
He was buried along with his son, and a top aide.
The BBC says the announcement follows days of apparent uncertainty among the new leadership about what to do with the bodies.
It says his family had wanted the bodies to beburied outside the former leader's hometown of Sirte.
NTC officials wanted a secret burial to ensure the site did not become a shrine for supporters of the ousted leader.
According to reports, a few relatives and officials were in attendance as Islamic prayers were read over the bodies.
The dictator's body has been on display, alongside that of his son and an army chief, in a market cold store in Misrata where they were taken after the men were captured and killed near Sirte last week.
The ABC reports hundreds of people have queued to view the bodies.
Meanwhile, Nato's commander in charge of alliance forces in Libya, Charles Bouchard, says Libya is now entirely free of the Gaddafi regime.
He says any threats of organised attacks from remnants of the Gaddafi are essentially gone.
Investigtion to be held
Earlier, Libya's interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil announced an investigation into the circumstances of Colonel Gaddafi's death as he was being captured.
He says the move is in response to international concern.
The former Libyan leader was seen alive shortly after his capture but was then apparently shot dead.
Mr Jalil says most Libyans had wanted to put Colonel Gaddafi on trial and only his former supporters wanted his speedy death, the BBC reports.
