The State Department said it was aware of the kidnapping of American journalist Shelly Kittleson on Tuesday, noting it had warned Kittleson of multiple threats against her prior to the incident.
“The U.S. Department of State is aware of the reported kidnapping of an American journalist in Baghdad, Iraq,” Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson said 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,” Johnson continued.
Iraq’s Ministry of the Interior initially reported that Kittleson, a correspondent for Al-Monitor reporting on Iraqi politics, had been abducted on Tuesday afternoon. The ministry said its security forces had arrested a suspect and detained a vehicle in connection with the abduction.
In the State Department’s update later on Thursday, Johnson said the suspect Iraqi authorities detained has “ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hizballah.”
“Iraq remains at a Level 4 Travel Advisory and Americans are advised not to travel to Iraq for any reason and to leave Iraq now. The State Department strongly advise all Americans, including members of the press, to adhere to all travel advisories,” Johnson said.
US JOURNALIST SHELLY KITTLESON KIDNAPPED IN BAGHDAD, IRAQI GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS
Kataib Hezbollah is an Iraqi Shia U.S.-designated terrorist group that receives training and funding from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Guard proxy group is not directly related to Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite each being designated as a terrorist group related to the Iranian regime.
The kidnapping comes just over one month after the U.S. military initially launched Operation Epic Fury.
