American freelance journalist kidnapped in Baghdad

Baghdad. An American freelance journalist, Shelly Kittleson, has been kidnapped in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. According to Iraqi and American officials, individuals linked to the Iran-backed armed group Kataib Hezbollah appear to be involved in the abduction.

Kittleson, who writes for the news portal Al-Monitor, was abducted on Tuesday evening near a hotel in central Baghdad. The Iraqi Interior Ministry stated that during a pursuit of the kidnappers' vehicle by security forces, one car overturned, leading to the arrest of a suspect.

Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson confirmed the kidnapping of an American journalist without naming them. On the social media platform X, he noted that the U.S. had previously warned the individual about potential threats and stated that coordination with the FBI is underway for their safe release.

It is understood that U.S. officials had contacted Kittleson multiple times until Monday night to inform her of security threats. The U.S. claims the arrested individual is associated with the Kataib Hezbollah group, which is considered close to Iran.

According to Alex Plitsas, Kittleson's emergency contact and a CNN national security analyst, the U.S. government had previously warned her about specific threats from Iran-backed paramilitary forces. She had been warned that Kataib Hezbollah was planning to kidnap or kill female journalists and that Kittleson's name was on their list.

Iraqi officials stated that high-level efforts are underway for the journalist's release. The Iraqi Interior Ministry mentioned that it is conducting intensive operations to search for and arrest the kidnappers based on precise intelligence.

Al-Monitor expressed deep concern over the kidnapping of its contributor and demanded her immediate and safe release. The U.S. State Department declined to provide further details, citing privacy reasons.