Updated ,first published
Washington: An American journalist has been kidnapped in Iraq, and the country’s Interior Ministry said a suspect had been arrested while the others – along with the victim – were still missing.
Al-Monitor, an independent media service covering the Middle East, identified the abducted journalist as one of its contributors, Shelly Kittleson.
Her identity was also confirmed by Alex Plitsas, a contributing security analyst at CNN and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, who said he was Kittleson’s designated US point-of-contact.
“We are deeply alarmed by the kidnapping of Al-Monitor contributor Shelly Kittleson in Iraq on Tuesday,” Al-Monitor said in a statement.
“We call for her safe and immediate release. We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work.”
Kittleson was abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday (Iraq time). Plitsas said on X that his friend may have been taken hostage by Kata’ib Hezbollah – an Iranian-backed Shiite militia operating in Iraq, which the US has designated as a terrorist organisation.
US State Department spokesman Dylan Johnson said the government was aware of the kidnapping in Baghdad, and confirmed the terrorist group’s involvement was suspected.
“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,” Johnson said.
“An individual with ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group [Kata’ib Hezbollah] believed to be involved in the kidnapping has been taken into custody by Iraqi authorities.”
All Americans were warned not to travel to Iraq for any reason, he said.
In a statement on its Facebook page, translated using Google, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said a foreign journalist had been “abducted by unknown assailants”.
Security forces located the kidnappers’ vehicle, which overturned as they attempted to flee, the ministry said. It said officers apprehended and arrested one suspect, and seized the vehicle, while efforts to locate the victim and remaining kidnappers were ongoing.
“The Ministry of Interior reiterates its firm stance that it will not tolerate any attempt to destabilise security or target foreign guests; its security agencies will remain vigilant and resolute in pursuing those who flout the law and bringing them to justice.”
According to the Women’s Media Centre, Kittleson is a freelance journalist focusing on the Middle East and Afghanistan, whose work has been published across US, Italian and other international outlets.
She has contributed to Foreign Policy, New Lines Magazine and Politico, among others.
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Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political reporter in Canberra.Connect via X or email.