Shepherd kidnapped in Nineveh for ransom

Shafaq News/A shepherd has been abducted for a ransom by an armed group in Nineveh, Lawmaker Nayef al-Shammari said on Friday.

"A shepherd was kidnapped in the al-Jazirah area west of Baaj," al-Shammari told Shafaq News agency.

"The kidnappers are negotiating with the shepherd's family for a ransom, but they are yet to be identified," he added.

Al-Shammari urged security forces in western Nineveh to "uncover the shepherd's fate, exert efforts to return him to his family, and investigate the circumstances of the incident."

The kidnapping comes amid ongoing concerns about security in Nineveh, particularly in areas that were formerly under the control of the Islamic State group (ISIS).