American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson has been abducted in central Baghdad on March 31 by gunmen with suspected ties to Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah, Iraq's Interior Ministry confirmed.

Kittleson was seized near the Baghdad Hotel on Saadoun Street. Iraqi security forces launched an immediate pursuit and intercepted one of the kidnappers' vehicles, which overturned as the suspects fled, but Kittleson was not inside. One suspect was arrested.

US Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said on X that the detained suspect had "ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hezbollah."

Johnson added that the State Department had "previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them" and was coordinating with the FBI to secure her release.

Alex Plitsas, a former Pentagon official and Kittleson's designated US point of contact, said she had been warned about a specific threat from Kataib Hezbollah, which was allegedly looking to kidnap or kill female journalists. Plitsas said Kittleson's name was on a list in the militia's possession.

Kittleson had been advised not to travel but told a colleague she "was doing what she had always done," CBS News reported.

The Italian-American journalist, based in Rome, has reported extensively from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan for Al-Monitor, the BBC, Politico and Foreign Policy.

Al-Monitor said it was "deeply alarmed" by the kidnapping and called for Kittleson's "safe and immediate release." The Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Women's Media Foundation also called for her release, with the CPJ warning that abductions are "often used to terrorise and silence" reporters.

Saudi Arabian Al-Arabiya broadcast footage reportedly showing the moment of the abduction.

The kidnappers' vehicle was tracked heading southwest from Baghdad toward Babil province before crashing near the town of Al-Haswa, NewsNation reported.

Kataib Hezbollah is an IRGC-linked militia that has repeatedly targeted US personnel and facilities in Iraq since the start of the Iran war on February 28. The US embassy in Baghdad has urged all American citizens to leave the country.