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 stated 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 state department confirmed it is aware of Kittleson's kidnapping and working with the Iraqi government to secure her release.
Al-Monitor said it was deeply alarmed by her kidnapping and called for her safe and immediate release. An Iraqi official confirmed to CBS that local authorities were working at the highest level to release Kittleson.
Her emergency contact, Alex Plitsas, a CNN national security analyst, stated that Kittleson had received warnings about a specific threat from Iran-backed paramilitaries. Reports suggest that Kataib Hezbollah was plotting to target female journalists; thus, Kittleson had been warned that her name was on a list in their possession.
The interior ministry's statement indicated that security forces promptly launched an operation to apprehend the perpetrators based on precise intelligence, resulting in the interception of a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers.
Kittleson, based in Rome, has covered conflicts throughout Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The FBI, National Security Council, state department, Delta Force, and the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service are all coordinating efforts regarding her abduction. Although Baghdad was once notorious for kidnappings, the number of abductions has decreased in recent years as the security situation in Iraq has improved.
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 stated 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 state department confirmed it is aware of Kittleson's kidnapping and working with the Iraqi government to secure her release.
Al-Monitor said it was deeply alarmed by her kidnapping and called for her safe and immediate release. An Iraqi official confirmed to CBS that local authorities were working at the highest level to release Kittleson.
Her emergency contact, Alex Plitsas, a CNN national security analyst, stated that Kittleson had received warnings about a specific threat from Iran-backed paramilitaries. Reports suggest that Kataib Hezbollah was plotting to target female journalists; thus, Kittleson had been warned that her name was on a list in their possession.
The interior ministry's statement indicated that security forces promptly launched an operation to apprehend the perpetrators based on precise intelligence, resulting in the interception of a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers.
Kittleson, based in Rome, has covered conflicts throughout Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The FBI, National Security Council, state department, Delta Force, and the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service are all coordinating efforts regarding her abduction. Although Baghdad was once notorious for kidnappings, the number of abductions has decreased in recent years as the security situation in Iraq has improved.
