An American journalist has been abducted in Baghdad, who tried to cross from Syria into Iraq three weeks earlier and was initially stopped at the border.
As per Iraqi and US officials, the kidnapped journalist, Shelly Renee Kittleson, received several threats against her a few days before the incident occurred.
Who is Shelly Renee Kittleson?
A 49-year-old freelance journalist who has been working for years in Iraq and Syria, Kittleson was kidnapped from a street of Baghdad on Tuesday and still remains missing.
Kittleson is recognised for her in-depth reporting, with a solid grip on conflict zones and tribal dynamics in Iraq and Syria.
As per Iraqi officials, Kittleson had attempted to cross from Syria into Iraq on March 9 via the al-Qaim border but was initially turned back due to missing work permits and escalating security concerns due to an ongoing conflict involving Iran.
She later entered Iraq on a temporary visa and reached Baghdad days before her abduction.
Meanwhile, the US state department said that they remain dedicated to searching for her “as soon as possible.”
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the assistant secretary of state for global public affairs Dylan Johnson stated, “An individual with ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hezballah believed to be involved in the kidnapping has been taken into custody by Iraqi authorities.”
Notably, investigation regarding Shelly Renee Kittleson’s kidnapping case is underway and it is being diligently monitored under Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
Iraqi forces stated Kittleson was seized by four men in civilian clothes and taken in a vehicle, one of the suspects has been arrested following the car crash, while the others escaped along with the journalist.
