00:00This has happened in Iraq.
00:02It was a daylight abduction of an American freelance journalist, Shelley Kittleson,
00:06who's been kidnapped in central Baghdad.
00:08This is also, remember, the kind of risks involved,
00:12especially for journalists on the ground.
00:14The abduction was caught on camera.
00:16CCTV footage shows, look at that.
00:18Cars are blocking Shelley and then two kidnappers approach her.
00:21The kidnappers then push the woman journalist and drag her into the car.
00:25The kidnappers then are seen fleeing in another car with the woman journalist.
00:30The Iraqi Interior Ministry, we are told, has said security forces
00:35chased the reporter's abductors in a pursuit that did result in one of the kidnappers' cars overturning.
00:41One suspect has been taken in custody.
00:43U.S. State Department confirms it is working closely with Iraqi authorities and the FBI
00:47to bring this journalist home safely.
00:50Officials add, Kittleson had received multiple warnings,
00:53including the night before, about kidnapping threats.
00:56From who?
00:57From Iranian proxy groups.
01:02Shelley was prominently reporting across Baghdad on the ongoing situation.
01:06In fact, she was also among them to giving account details of how the Shia Iraqi militia,
01:11the Iranian proxy, were targeting the American SSN across the tension.
01:17So the event that unfolded yesterday, she was in Iraq and two cars.
01:21We see all of a sudden, from a point, one car came, people coming down.
01:25Literally, in the CCTV footage, two people were seen.
01:27They dragged her in.
01:28And then she was taken to another pocket where she was transferred into another car.
01:33In fact, as we speak, reportedly what we are hearing from,
01:36of course, we are waiting for another official confirmation.
01:39That perhaps she has been rescued.
01:41So the entire detail of the operation that is yet to come.
01:45But these images are literally horrific and scary.
01:49And remember, the Middle East, we are already seeing tension for the journalists.
01:52We have seen three journalists killed in Lebanon.
01:55Journalists also killed in Tehran.
01:57In the air strikes by America and Israel.
01:59And here in Iraq, another American prominent journalist,
02:02who was reporting on the ongoing tension, was abducted.
02:04Now, the purpose of abduction, whether it was she was being an American or an American journalist,
02:08she was abducted, that is yet to be ascertained.
02:11But for now, the confirmed report says the rescue operation was already carried out.
02:15And finally, she has been evacuated.
02:17But this is extremely shocking for the cross-journalistic fraternity,
02:20that in the different critical situation, the journalists are reporting.
02:24But in Iraq, in Baghdad, it's no more safe.
02:26And clearly, that becomes literally hostile by the militia and the different groups working across Baghdad,
02:33across Iraq, that this is literally a hostile time for all the journalists
02:36who are reporting the ongoing escalation in the Middle East.
02:39So who is this journalist who has been abducted?
02:41I want to get some details on that as well.
02:44One, the incident took place in Iraq.
02:46The visuals on your screen are reflective of the situation on the ground.
02:50She's an American journalist, but an independent freelance journalist.
02:53And, however, specialising in conflict zones.
02:57She's reported extensively on ISIS operations,
03:01which were, remember, once massive in the region in Iraq.
03:04But also, apart from that, some serious strong work on militias, on regional conflicts.
03:10She's also reported on the current regional ongoing tensions between United States of America and Iran,
03:15and tensions between the two countries that have lasted decades now.
03:18Where has her work been published?
03:21BBC.
03:22Politico.
03:23Foreign policy, and more.
03:25She's primarily covered Iran-linked militias in Iraq.
03:29Remember, Iran and Iraq have their own tensions going on,
03:32and especially how the proxies group are operating in Iraq.
03:35Her work's been featured in AL Monitor, New Lines.
03:38But the fact is that a woman, a journalist, an American journalist,
03:43working there in these sensitive zones,
03:46is ground reporting that must be appreciated.
03:49These are active conflict zones.
03:50But sadly, she's been abducted in Baghdad by unidentified gunmen.
03:55Iraqi authorities have launched the search operation.
03:58We are told one suspect was detained after a failed escape attempt.
04:01We'll be tracking more on this,
04:03about especially where is Shelly Kittleson,
04:06and why was she abducted in the first place.
04:08We'll be tracking more on this.
04:08We'll be back to you later.
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