Three Americans have reportedly been kidnapped by ‘militias’ in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
The U.S. government is aware of reports and is working with Iraqi authorities to find them, a U.S. State Department official said on Sunday.
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Their disappearance was first reported by the a pan-Arab news channel Al- Arabiya.
RT reports:
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.”
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.
Three American contractors went missing in #baghdad #Iraq two days ago – senior security official
— Michael Holmes (@holmescnn) January 17, 2016
Niamh Harris