Freelance Journalist Kidnapped in Baghdad

0:00On March 31st, an American journalist named Shelley Kiddelsen got kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday, Iraqi officials just confirmed. She's a freelance reporter who's covered the Middle East and Afghanistan for outlets like Al-Monitor and Foreign Policy. Armed men grabbed her near the Palestine Hotel in Central Baghdad and no groups claimed it yet. She was in town reporting on how the U.S. Israeli strikes on Iran are hitting Iraq. Knappings like this often tied back to pro-Aran militias, something she's dug into before in her stories. Journalists face real dangers there, especially with militia activity ramping up. Just last September, another researcher, Elizabeth Surkov, got released after months held by Iraq's Qatayev Hezbollah group. It shows the risks haven't faded. Security forces jumped on it quick, chasing the kidnappers' vehicle until it flipped during the escape. They nabbed one suspect, but Kiddelsen's still missing as the hunt continues. Iraqi authorities are pushing hard on this one, and will keep tracking updates as they

1:00drop. Stay sharp out there.