The CIA has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post reported Friday, citing anonymous sources.

US officials have expressed "high confidence" that the prince was behind the death of the journalist, the reports said.

The CIA's assessment contradicts the statement of the Saudi government that Saudi Arabia's crown prince had no knowledge of the assassination.

Saudi Arabia initially denied that Khashoggi had been killed inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul, where he was last seen on October 2.