A US freelance journalist has been kidnapped in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, and one of the suspects is linked to an Iran-backed militia, Iraqi and US officials say.
Shelly Kittleson was abducted on Tuesday evening, said Al-Monitor, a news outlet for which she has contributed articles.
The Iraqi interior ministry said security forces had chased the reporter's abductors in a pursuit that resulted in one of the kidnappers' cars overturning and the arrest of one suspect.
A US state department official said an individual with ties to an Iranian-aligned militia group, Kataib Hezbollah, was detained by Iraqi authorities.
Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, confirmed the abduction of an American journalist, without naming Kittleson. He posted on X: The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible.
It is understood that US officials had contacted Kittleson a number of times to warn of threats against her, including as late as Monday night.
The US state department said in a statement: Due to privacy and other considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time.
Al-Monitor, which is based in the US, said local news reports indicate Kittleson was taken near a hotel in the heart of the capital. It added that the state department confirmed it is aware of Kittleson's kidnapping and working with the Iraqi government to secure her release.
Al-Monitor expressed profound alarm over her kidnapping, calling for her safe and immediate release. An Iraqi official confirmed that local authorities are working at the highest level to secure her release.
Kittleson's emergency contact, Alex Plitsas, a CNN national security analyst, stated that Kittleson had been warned by the US government about threats she faced from Iran-backed paramilitaries. Reports suggested that Kataib Hezbollah had been plotting attacks against female journalists, with Kittleson reportedly on a list of targets.
The interior ministry reported that their response included immediate operations to track the kidnappers' movements after they received exact intelligence. The statement emphasized ongoing efforts to find the remaining perpetrators and highlight the criminal nature of this act.
Kittleson, based in Rome, Italy, has reported on various conflicts throughout the Middle East, and the FBI is actively involved in her case. Despite a history of kidnappings in Baghdad, such incidents have declined as the security situation has improved in Iraq.
Shelly Kittleson was abducted on Tuesday evening, said Al-Monitor, a news outlet for which she has contributed articles.
The Iraqi interior ministry said security forces had chased the reporter's abductors in a pursuit that resulted in one of the kidnappers' cars overturning and the arrest of one suspect.
A US state department official said an individual with ties to an Iranian-aligned militia group, Kataib Hezbollah, was detained by Iraqi authorities.
Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, confirmed the abduction of an American journalist, without naming Kittleson. He posted on X: The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible.
It is understood that US officials had contacted Kittleson a number of times to warn of threats against her, including as late as Monday night.
The US state department said in a statement: Due to privacy and other considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time.
Al-Monitor, which is based in the US, said local news reports indicate Kittleson was taken near a hotel in the heart of the capital. It added that the state department confirmed it is aware of Kittleson's kidnapping and working with the Iraqi government to secure her release.
Al-Monitor expressed profound alarm over her kidnapping, calling for her safe and immediate release. An Iraqi official confirmed that local authorities are working at the highest level to secure her release.
Kittleson's emergency contact, Alex Plitsas, a CNN national security analyst, stated that Kittleson had been warned by the US government about threats she faced from Iran-backed paramilitaries. Reports suggested that Kataib Hezbollah had been plotting attacks against female journalists, with Kittleson reportedly on a list of targets.
The interior ministry reported that their response included immediate operations to track the kidnappers' movements after they received exact intelligence. The statement emphasized ongoing efforts to find the remaining perpetrators and highlight the criminal nature of this act.
Kittleson, based in Rome, Italy, has reported on various conflicts throughout the Middle East, and the FBI is actively involved in her case. Despite a history of kidnappings in Baghdad, such incidents have declined as the security situation has improved in Iraq.
