اختطاف صحفية أمريكية في العراق بعد تلقيها تهديدات من جماعات موالية لإيران
American journalist Shelley Kettleson was kidnapped in broad daylight in Baghdad, Iraq, with Iraqi authorities arresting a suspect allegedly connected to Iranian-backed Hezbollah Iraq groups. The kidnapping was captured on video and shared on social media, prompting a multi-agency search operation involving Iraqi and US authorities.
Summary
Shelley Kettleson, an American journalist, was kidnapped in central Baghdad on Saadoun Street near a hotel during daylight hours. The incident was captured on video and circulated on social media, showing several men forcing her into a car on a crowded street. Iraqi authorities, working with multiple agencies including the Federal Investigations Office, National Security Council, US State Department, and Delta Force, launched a search operation. The Interior Ministry reported pursuing one of the vehicles involved in the kidnapping, leading to a car crash and the arrest of one suspect allegedly from the 45th Regiment of the Iraqi Army. According to reports, the arrested individual has connections to Hezbollah Iraq, an Iranian-backed group established in 2007 and designated as a terrorist organization by the United States in 2009. The group was formed as an alliance of armed factions following the American invasion of Iraq and has conducted operations against US forces. The US maintains a Level 4 travel advisory for Iraq, strongly advising Americans against travel due to security concerns. Iraqi officials condemned the kidnapping and vowed to pursue legal action against perpetrators while ensuring the safety of foreign guests. This incident follows a pattern of kidnappings in Iraq, including the 2023 case of Russian-Israeli student Elizabeth Tsorkov, who was also allegedly taken by Iranian-backed groups.
About this episode
#بي_بي_سي اختطفت الصحفية الأمريكية شيلي كيتلسون من قلب العاصمة بغداد وفقا لما نقل موقع المونيتور الذي ينشر مقالاتها. وقالت وزارة الداخلية العراقية إن صحفية أجنبية اختطفت من قبل مجهولين وإنها ألقت القبض على أحد المتورطين أثناء عملية مطاردة. فيما نقلت وكالة الأنباء الفرنسية عن مسؤول كبير في الوزارة أن الموقوف ينتمي إلى اللواء 45 في الحشد الشعبي، وهو لواء تابع لكتائب حزب الله. وقال المسؤول إنه عثر في داخل سيارته على حقائب المخطوفة. من جانبه، قال ديلان جونسون، مساعد وزير الخارجية للشؤون العامة العالمية في بيان على إكس دون ذكر اسم الصحفية إن الوزارة حذرتها من التهديدات التي تتعرض لها وإن الوزارة ستواصل التنسيق مع مكتب التحقيقات الفيدرالي لضمان إطلاق سراحها في أسرع وقت ممكن. هذه القناة الرسمية لبي بي سي نيوز عربي على يوتيوب. هل أنت مهتم بمعرفة آخر الأخبار من منظور حيادي؟ أنت في المكان الصحيح. بي بي سي من أكثر مصادر الأخبار موثوقية في العالم. ستجد هنا أفلاماً وثائقية، تحقيقات استقصائية، مقابلات وشرحاً لآخر الأحداث التي تهمك في السياسة، والمجتمع والعلوم والصحة. تابعونا على منصاتنا الأخرى الموقع الإلكتروني 👈 https://www.bbc.com/arabic انستغرام 👈 https://www.instagram.com/bbcarabic/ فيسبوك 👈 https://www.facebook.com/BBCnewsArabic/ إكس 👈 https://x.com/bbcarabic واتساب 👈 https://bbc.in/41wBNr3 "مجلة+" 👈 https://bbc.in/4jf8aQU
Key Insights
- Iraqi authorities claim the kidnapping suspect has direct connections to Hezbollah Iraq, an Iranian-backed terrorist organization that has operated against US forces since 2007
- The kidnapping was brazenly conducted in broad daylight on a crowded Baghdad street and captured on video, demonstrating the boldness of militant groups operating in the Iraqi capital
- US officials maintain that Iraq remains at the highest travel warning level due to ongoing security threats, with this incident reinforcing concerns about the safety of American citizens in the country
Topics
Transcript
Shelley Kettleson, an American journalist, was kidnapped in the middle of the day from the heart of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad and the search for her is still ongoing in cooperation with the Federal Investigations Office, the National Security Council, the US Foreign Ministry, the Delta Force and the Iraqi Terrorist Resistance, according to sources on CBS. Local reports have said that Kettleson was kidnapped near a hotel in Baghdad on Saadoun Street. This clip was published on social media and was circulated by media at the moment of the kidnapping of Kettleson by a number of men on a crowded street, which was forced to ride a car and flee. The Interior Ministry said that it had chased one…
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