A US freelance journalist has been kidnapped in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, and one of the suspects is linked to an Iran-backed militia, Iraqi and US officials say. Shelly Kittleson was abducted on Tuesday evening, said Al-Monitor, a news outlet for which she has contributed articles. The Iraqi interior ministry said security forces had chased the reporter’s abductors in a pursuit that resulted in one of the kidnappers’ cars overturning and the arrest of one suspect. A US state department official said an individual with ties to an Iranian-aligned militia group, Kataib Hezbollah, was detained by Iraqi authorities. Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, confirmed the abduction of an American journalist, without naming Kittleson. He posted on X: “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.” It is understood that US officials had contacted Kittleson a number of times to warn of threats against her, including as late as Monday night. The US state department said in a statement to the BBC: “Due to privacy and other considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time.” Al-Monitor, which is based in the US, said local news reports indicate Kittleson was taken near a hotel in the heart of the capital. It added that the state department had confirmed it “is aware of Kittleson’s kidnapping and working with the Iraqi government to secure her release” Al-Monitor said it was “deeply alarmed” by her kidnapping, and…Read more