Journalist Kidnapped in Baghdad, Iran-Linked Militia Suspected

0:00On March 31st, a U.S. freelance journalist named Shelley Kiddelsen got kidnapped Tuesday evening in Central Baghdad. Iraqi security forces jumped on it quick, chasing the abductors until one of their cars flipped, leading to the arrest of a suspect with links to the Iran-backed militia, Qatayib Hezbollah. U.S. officials confirmed the snatch and are pushing hard for her release. Earlier warnings came from the State Department, who hit her up multiple times, even Monday night about specific threats. They say they warned her her name was on a list from that militia group, which has targeted female reporters before. Still, she stayed on the ground covering conflicts. News outlets like Al-Monitor, where she contributes, are sounding the alarm and demanding her safe return right away. She's a veteran reporter out of Rome, who's covered wars in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan for years. Baghdad used to be a hotbed for kidnappings, but things had calmed down lately. Iraqi interior ministry forces are still hunting the rest of the crew, using solid intel

1:05and field ops. They've got high-level coordination going to get her out and slap legal charges on everyone involved. No word yet on her exact spot near that hotel. U.S. and Iraqi teams are locked in on this, working every angle for a quick resolution, so stay tuned as this unfolds. From around the world, powered by AI, this is Global News Today. I'm Corey with The Story.