Gunmen have kidnapped an Iraqi female journalist after posing as members of the security forces and bursting into her home in Baghdad, AFP reported Tuesday (December 27th).

Afrah Shawqi Hammudi was abducted on Monday at around 10:00 p.m. from her home in a southern neighbourhood of the capital, said Ziad al-Ajili, head of the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory.

"Eight armed men burst into her house in Saidiya dressed in plain clothes and entered by pretending to belong to the security forces," he said.

"They tied up her son and stole mobile phones, computers and cash before kidnapping Afrah and fleeing," he added.

The report was confirmed by a source in Iraq's Interior Ministry who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Hammudi, 43, is employed by Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, as well as a number of news websites, including Aklaam. She specialises in investigative journalism and women's issues.

A joint security and intelligence team has been formed to investigate the kidnapping, the Baghdad Operations Command said Tuesday, urging anyone with information to come forward.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi condemned her abduction and ordered the security services to do their utmost to find her and track down those responsible.

Seven journalists have been killed in Iraq in 2016 , press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said last week.