American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson has been kidnapped in Baghdad, with U.S. authorities saying she was abducted on Tuesday by a suspected armed group amid worsening security conditions in Iraq following recent regional escalations involving strikes on Iran.

The U.S. State Department confirmed it had previously warned the journalist about security risks in the country and stated it is working to secure her release as quickly as possible. A State Department spokesperson also indicated that an individual linked to the Iran-aligned Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah is believed to have played a role in the abduction and has since been detained by Iraqi authorities.

Iraqi officials confirmed that a foreign journalist was taken and said security forces launched an immediate operation to locate those responsible. According to initial accounts, the kidnapping involved two vehicles, one of which overturned during a pursuit near Al-Haswa in Babil province, southwest of Baghdad.

Reports from Iraqi security sources say the journalist was transferred to a second vehicle that fled the scene. During follow-up operations, authorities intercepted a suspect vehicle that also crashed while attempting to escape. One individual has been arrested, and one of the vehicles used in the operation has been seized, although other suspects remain at large.

The Iraqi interior ministry stated that the search for the kidnappers is ongoing and that security forces continue to track the remaining individuals involved. Officials did not initially provide full details, but confirmed that the victim is a U.S. citizen and works as a freelance journalist.

U.S. officials have publicly linked the incident to Kataib Hezbollah, while Iraqi authorities have emphasized that investigations are continuing and operational efforts are underway to recover the journalist safely and detain all those involved.