Rogue killers may be behind Khashoggi's disappearance: Trump

United States President Donald Trump said he believes that "rogue killers" could be behind the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Trump had spoken to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz earlier in the day and had mentioned that the Saudi King had denied having "any knowledge" on what could have happened to the scribe.

"That being said, the king firmly denied any knowledge of it, he didn't really know. Maybe, I don't want to get into his head, but it sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers, who knows," Trump told journalists, according to Sputnik.

The US President also confirmed on Twitter that US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo has been sent to Saudi Arabia at his behest to meet the Saudi King.

Trump had earlier threatened the Gulf country of "severe punishment" if it is proven that Saudi Arabia had a role to play in Khashoggi's disappearance, a charge that the Gulf nation has repeatedly and vehemently denied.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that Saudi Arabia is working on a report that may reveal Riyadh's role in Khashoggi's disappearance while confirming the senior scribe's death at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

Jamal Khashoggi has been missing ever since cameras captured him walking into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Hatice Cengiz, his fiancee, who was waiting outside the consul, had stated that she did not see him re-emerging from the building, even though Saudi Arabia has claimed that the journalist had left the building within few minutes of entering.