A computer virus hit a slew of major US newspapers in California and disrupted deliveries

A computer virus hit newspaper printing plant in Los Angeles, preventing it from printing and delivering Saturday editions of the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union-Tribune and other papers to some subscribers.

The Los Angeles Times, which runs the facility, says the computer virus infected systems that are associated with the printing process.

The Times, citing one source with knowledge of the situation, reported that the issues stemmed from a cyberattack that apparently came from a "foreign entity."

"We believe the intention of the attack was to disable infrastructure, more specifically servers, as opposed to looking to steal information," the source was quoted as saying.

Spokeswoman Hillary Manning says the paper has been working to fix the issues but added that Sunday deliveries may be affected as well.

A note posted to The Times' website apologized to its subscribers.

"We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience as we actively work to resolve these issues and restore timely service to our customers," it said.

Biotech billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong bought both the Los Angeles Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune earlier this year for $500 million.