NEW: American Journalist Kidnapped By Iranian Proxy Group Set To Be Freed
Shelly Kittleson, an American journalist who was kidnapped by armed members of an Iraqi paramilitary group last week, has been released after roughly eight days in captivity.
The release was announced and carried out by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-aligned Iraqi militia group, as part of an arrangement with Iraqi authorities. Iraqi officials confirmed that Kittleson was freed Tuesday afternoon in Baghdad, and that she was required to leave the country immediately as a condition of the release.
Kittleson, a 49-year-old American freelance journalist, had been held for one week following her abduction in Baghdad on March 31. She had been reporting in Iraq as a contributor to outlets including Al-Monitor.
She is a veteran journalist with more than a decade of experience covering the Middle East, including assignments in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. She maintains a base in Rome, Italy, and has also worked as a translator for the Italian news agency ANSA. Prior to the abduction, she had received multiple warnings from U.S. authorities, including the FBI, about threats to her safety in Iraq linked to Kataib Hezbollah.
One such warning was issued the day before the incident, yet she elected to remain in the country to continue her work.
The abduction took place in broad daylight on a busy street in Baghdad. According to Iraqi authorities and verified CCTV footage, four men in civilian clothing forced Kittleson into a vehicle.
The vehicle was pursued by security forces, leading to a crash in Babil province south of Baghdad. Kittleson was transferred to a second vehicle that evaded capture. One suspect, identified as the driver of the initial vehicle and a member of Kataib Hezbollah within the Popular Mobilization Forces, was arrested and taken into custody.
Iraqi security officials described the abductors as unknown individuals at the time but linked the operation to the militia through the suspect and vehicle affiliation.
Kataib Hezbollah did not issue an official claim of responsibility for the kidnapping. However, both U.S. and Iraqi officials attributed the abduction to the group from the outset.
The militia, designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States since 2009, is one of the most influential Iran-backed armed factions operating within Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces. It has a history of involvement in attacks on U.S. targets.
One day after the abduction, representatives from Kataib Hezbollah contacted Iraqi government officials to propose negotiations for Kittleson’s release. The group demanded the release of several of its members who had been detained by Iraqi authorities.
Iraqi security officials confirmed that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani was involved in the talks. Negotiations continued over the following days amid regional tensions, including ongoing militia attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq linked to broader U.S.-Iran dynamics.
U.S. officials, including the State Department, had been coordinating with Iraqi counterparts and the FBI throughout the week to facilitate her safe return. Iraqi authorities described ongoing operations at the highest levels to locate and free her.