Saudi Arabia confirmed late Friday that Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead. Royal court adviser Al-Qahtani and Deputy Intelligence Chief Ahmed Asiri sacked from their positions, the Kingdom added.

A fight broke out between the dissident journalist and people who met him in the consulate which led to his death, the Kingdom added in a statement.

Without a word to clarify what a forensic expert and 14 other Saudi officials (one of them recently killed in an "accident" in Riyadh) arriving in Istanbul on 2 private jets were doing right before Khashoggi was killed, the Kingdom also said 18 Saudi nationals have been arrested so far.

"Investigations are still underway," the statement added.

Khashoggi has long been feared killed after he entered the Saudi Consulate building in Istanbul on Oct. 2 and was never seen leaving.

On the same day of Khashoggi's disappearance, 15 other Saudis, including a forensic expert and several other officials, arrived in Istanbul on two private planes and visited the consulate while he was still inside, according to Turkish police sources. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.