An American journalist, Shelly Kittleson, has been kidnapped in Baghdad by a suspected Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group, the United States has said. The abduction comes amid heightened regional tensions following the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
Kittleson, a long-time freelancer who has reported extensively from Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, was seized by four men in civilian clothes and forced into a vehicle on a Baghdad street, according to Iraqi police. A surveillance video captured the incident.
The US State Department said it was working to ensure her release “as soon as possible”. Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, stated that an individual with ties to the Iranian-aligned militia Kataib Hezbollah believed to be involved in the kidnapping had been taken into custody by Iraqi authorities.
Iraqi security forces intercepted a vehicle that overturned as suspects tried to flee. The interior ministry confirmed the arrest of one suspect and said efforts were ongoing to secure the journalist's release and track down other individuals involved. The ministry did not identify the perpetrator or the victim.
Kittleson is known for her in-depth reporting on conflict zones and tribal dynamics in Iraq and Syria. News organisation Al-Monitor expressed deep alarm over the kidnapping and called for her safe and immediate release. The US has warned Americans of rising risks in Iraq, advising all citizens, including members of the press, to adhere to travel advisories and leave the country.
