Iraqi and American officials say that an American freelance journalist has been kidnapped from the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
According to officials, one of the suspected kidnappers belongs to an Iran-backed militia.
Al-Monitor news agency says that Shelly Kittelson was kidnapped on Tuesday evening. She used to file news for Al-Monitor.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry says security forces pursued the reporter’s kidnappers, which resulted in one of the kidnappers’ cars overturning and arresting a suspect.
A US State Department official said Iraqi authorities have detained a man belonging to Kataib Hezbollah, a militia group linked to Iran.
Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylann Johnson confirmed the kidnapping of an American journalist without naming Kittleson.
In a statement to X, he said: “The State Department previously fulfilled its duty to inform this individual of the threats against them, and we are now in constant contact with the FBI to ensure his speedy release.”
American officials are believed to have contacted Kittelson several times to inform him of potential threats. He was last contacted on Monday night.
The US State Department said in a statement to the BBC: ‘Due to privacy and other concerns, we have no further information to provide at this time.’
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