- An American freelance journalist, Shelly Renee Kittleson, was kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday, sparking an urgent search by Iraqi and US officials.
- Kittleson had been warned multiple times by US and Iraqi officials about specific threats against her by Iran-affiliated militias in the days leading up to her disappearance.
- She had previously been turned back from the Syrian-Iraqi border due to a lack of a press permit and security concerns, later entering Iraq on a single-entry visa.
- Surveillance footage reportedly shows two men forcing her into a car; one suspect was arrested after a car crash, but others escaped with the journalist.
- US officials allege that Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-linked Iraqi militia, is responsible for the abduction, though the group has not claimed responsibility.
IN FULL
US journalist kidnapped in Iraq had been warned of threats in days prior
