Sources familiar with the situation said the downsizing would cut about 1,000 to 1,200 employees at the Central Intelligence Agency.

The planned cuts include 1,200 positions at the CIA, along with thousands more from other parts of the U.S. intelligence community.

US Congressional representatives have been informed that the CIA plans to cut around 1,200 positions, representing about 5 per cent of its workforce, through a combination of early retirements, voluntary resignations, and reduced future hiring, rather than large-scale layoffs.