It remains unclear who is responsible for Ms Kittleson's abduction; however, a US official has blamed the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah. Photo: Shelly Kittleson/X

The freelance journalist has been named Shelly Kittleson by one of the outlets she worked for.

The US government is tracking her kidnapping and working with officials in Iraq to secure her release, a US official has said.

The Iraqi ministry confirmed a foreign journalist had been kidnapped but did not provide any further details.

It remains unclear who is responsible for Ms Kittleson's abduction. However, a US official blamed the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah.

Two Iraqi security officials, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the case, said the journalist was a woman and a US citizen.

They said that two cars were involved in the kidnapping. One of which crashed while being pursued near the town of Al-Haswa in Babil province, southwest of Baghdad.

The journalist was then transferred to a second car, which fled the scene.

Iraq's interior ministry said security forces had launched an operation to track down the kidnappers and intercepted a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers that overturned as they tried to flee.

One suspect was arrested, and one of the vehicles used in the kidnapping was seized, but others remain on the loose, the statement said.

Kittleson's journalism specialises in the Middle East and Afghanistan, with work published in international, US, and Italian outlets.

ITV News' US partner CNN has reported that sources have said that Ms Kittleson was warned of threats against her, including kidnapping, from Iranian proxy group Kataib Hezbollah.

According to one source familiar with the warning, the US government recently warned Kittleson of a Kataib Hezbollah plot to kidnap or kill her.

The warning came while she was already reporting in Iraq.

Another source said that US and Iraqi officials had been tracking threats by an Iranian proxy against Kittleson, including threats to abduct or kill her, and had warned her to leave multiple times in recent weeks.

The US Embassy in Baghdad declined to comment when asked by the Associated Press.

The US State Department has issued a statement, saying the Trump administration “has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans” and that it is “tracking these reports.”