Timothy Haugh, who is also head of US cyber command, was dismissed along with his deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble, the newspaper said.

Noble was reassigned to a job within the Pentagon’s office of the undersecretary of defence for intelligence, the newspaper said.

The NSA is part of the US defence department.

The current and former officials cited by the Washington Post said they did not know the reason for Haugh’s dismissal or Noble’s reassignment.

US cyber command deputy William Hartmann was named acting NSA director and Sheila Thomas, who was the executive director at the NSA, was named acting deputy, newspaper said.

The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Democrat Jim Himes, a ranking member of the House of Representatives permanent select committee on intelligence, condemned Haugh’s firing.

Republican President Donald Trump, since taking office on Jan 20, has fired multiple top officials at US agencies and installed loyalists.

Elon Musk, who is leading the Trump administration’s effort to cut and streamline the federal government’s workforce, visited the national security agency last month to meet Haugh.

The NSA is one of the US’ premier intelligence agencies and uses top-tier, specialised technology and systems to collect and analyse intelligence.

US cyber command carries out both offensive and defensive operations and monitors the networks of the department of defence.