Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi died at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul earlier this month "as a result of mistakes made by a team negotiating his return" to the kingdom, an official Saudi source told Reuters news agency on Sunday.

 

The source said Khashoggi "suffocated to death amid attempts to keep him from raising his voice."

 

The source added that the negotiation for his return was based on "previous directives to negotiate the return of opponents" to the kingdom. This previous directive "did not require approval from Saudi leadership."

 

"The team negotiating with Jamal Khashoggi exceeded their powers, used violence and contravened orders. They panicked following his death, leading them to cover up incident."

 

The source said: "Initial reports of the mission were false, which forced us to investigate. Eighteen suspects have been arrested and are under investigation."