Italian-American journalist kidnapped in Baghdad

Italian-American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday by a suspected Iran-backed armed group.

Dylan Johnson, US assistant secretary of state for Public Diplomacy, said on X that an individual linked to the Kataeb Hezbollah group had been arrested by Iraqi authorities over the incident. 

The State Department said it had warned the journalist of the risks to her safety and was working to secure her release "as soon as possible".

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Kittleson - who primarily works for Al-Monitor - had been contacted several times about threats against her, including on Tuesday evening.

CCTV footage released by a number of Iraqi news outlets appeared to show the moment that Kittleson was captured on Saadoun Street in central Baghdad.