Three Americans kidnapped in Baghdad – reports
An
aerial view of Baghdad © Reuters
RT,
17 January 2016
Three
American soldiers and a translator have reportedly been kidnapped by
militia in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
While
their identities have not yet been confirmed, Iraqi independent news
agency Akad News said a US serviceman and a translator are among
those who were captured in the south of Baghdad.
The
reports are yet to be verified, but Arab news channel Al-Arabiya said
the kidnapping has been confirmed by “well-informed
sources.”
We are reporting on Al Arabiya according to well informed sources that 3 #Americans have been kidnapped in #Baghdad by Militia members.
The
US embassy in the Iraqi capital said it is aware of the reports but
cannot comment as of yet.
US
State Department spokesman John Kirby said that the US government has
been informed of the reports of missing American citizens in Iraq and
is “working
with the full cooperation of the Iraqi authorities to locate and
recover the individuals.”
“The
safety and security of American citizens overseas is our highest
priority,”
Kirby added in his statement.
According
to CNN correspondent Michael Holmes, citing a senior security
official, three American contractors went missing in the Iraqi
capital two days ago.
With
the Muslim world split along sectarian lines, the atmosphere in the
region has become tenser since the execution of a prominent Shia
cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, by Sunni Saudi Arabia. Massive rallies
have been staged by thousands of protesters in front of the Saudi
embassy in Baghdad. The militias of southern Iraq are predominantly
Shia.
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