An American newspaper revealed that more than a year before the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince approved a secret campaign to silence dissenters.

Iran Press/Middle East: The campaign included surveillance, kidnapping, detention and torture of Saudis, said the report which cited US officials who have read classified intelligence reports about the effort.

American officials referred to it as the Saudi Rapid Intervention Group, The New York Times reported.

At least some of the clandestine missions were carried out by members of the team that killed and dismembered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, suggesting his murder was part of a wider campaign against dissidents, the report said, citing the US officials and associates of some Saudi victims.

Jamal Khashoggi's murder who was a critic of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince 'Mohammed bin Salman' sparked international outcry and caused big scandal for Saudi Arabia.

The senators, briefed by the heads of US intelligence agencies, said they were convinced that Prince Mohammed was responsible for the Khashoggi killing.

Saudi Arabia has stressed Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was not involved.

But the US Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince ordered the gruesome murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul last month.

Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate on October 2 to obtain documents certifying he divorced his ex-wife so he could remarry. He was killed and dismembered inside the consulate, in what Turkey called a "premeditated murder" orchestrated by the Saudi government. 101/201/213

Read More:

20 Saudi member of Khashoggi's execution team under Interpol's red notice

America’s double standards on Human Rights: Accusing Tehran, Excluding Riyadh

EU joins first Saudi rebuke at UN forum