The Chinese government worked to weaken CIA spying operations by killing or imprisoning more than a dozen informants over two years, The New York Times reported Saturday.

American officials told the newspaper that the intelligence breach lasted from 2010 through the end of 2012, essentially undoing the spy network that had been built over many years.

Between 18 and 20 CIA sources were imprisoned or killed by the Chinese, two former senior U.S. officials told the Times. An official said one informant was shot in front of his colleagues outside of a government building in an apparent gesture to intimidate other potential informants.

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