Iraq - Shelly Kittleson, American journalist, abducted in Baghdad, 31 March 2026

[DS2021]

American journalist Shelly Kittleson abducted in Iraq

Local authorities are searching for Shelley Kittleson, who was abducted in Baghdad.

www.al-monitor.com

American freelance journalist Shelley Kittleson was abducted by unidentified individuals in Baghdad on Tuesday, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said, as security forces worked to track down the perpetrators.

The ministry said the operation was launched immediately based on what it called “precise intelligence.” It added that authorities had intercepted a vehicle believed to belong to the abductors that flipped over as they tried to flee. However, Kittleson was not in the vehicle. Local news reports indicated she was taken near the Baghdad Hotel on Saadoun Street

 

[tlcya]

A female journalist holding a US passport was kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday by unknown parties, two police sources said.

The Iraqi interior ministry did not disclose her nationality, but said one suspect had been arrested and that efforts were ongoing to free the journalist.

The journalist's identity was later confirmed to Reuters by Iraqi police sources as Shelly Kittleson.
Iraqi police: Foreign journalist with US passport kidnapped in Baghdad | The Jerusalem Post

The ministry stated that while the security forces were pursuing the vehicle belonging to the kidnappers, it overturned. However, the forces were able to arrest one of the accused and seized the vehicles used in the abduction.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-...ttleson-kidnapped-in-baghdad-reports-11293301

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Police sources said they were still chasing a vehicle in which she was taken by force by four men in civilian clothes.

https://twitter.com/Osint613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2039030641962942830%7Ctwgr%5Efc60d8e607ee95f18be54b47dff3bc45754bfd7e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Fmiddle-east%2Farticle-891833

Shelly Kittleson with an Afghani interview subject in 2024

Iraqi police: Foreign journalist with US passport kidnapped in Baghdad | The Jerusalem Post

One suspect had been arrested, the ministry said, adding that efforts were ongoing to free the journalist.

www.jpost.com

Authorities intercepted a vehicle believed to be linked to the abduction that overturned during a pursuit, though Kittleson was not inside, the ministry said. Local media reported she was taken near the Baghdad Hotel on Saadoun Street.

American journalist kidnapped in Baghdad: what to know

American journalist Shelly Kittleson was abducted in Baghdad as Iraqi forces pursue suspects; one arrest made, motive still unknown.

www.newsweek.com

 

[tlcya]

It is not clear whether the kidnapping was related to the ongoing war in Iran, but Iran-backed proxies in Iraq have launched attacks on U.S. facilities in the country since the war began.

U.S. citizens have been urged to leave Iraq since the war began, due to kidnapping risks.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/world/american-journalist-kidnapped-iraq/

 

[realanastasia]

Kittleson speaking on her experiences: Dealing With Danger as a Freelancer in Syria

 

[DS2021]

From their facebook https://english.alarabiya.net/

 

[DS2021]

Hopefully the rumors are true

US journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in central Baghdad by pro-Iran militias - Türkiye Today

Kataib Hezbollah kidnaps American Al-Monitor journalist Shelly Kittleson in central Baghdad, with unconfirmed reports alleging she was later rescued

www.turkiyetoday.com

Alleged rescue amid conflicting accounts
Unconfirmed reports circulating on Iraqi social media subsequently claimed that Iraqi security forces intercepted the kidnappers as they drove toward Jurf al-Sakhar, a town south of Baghdad historically associated with Shia militia activity. According to those unverified accounts, the abductors' vehicle overturned during a pursuit involving an exchange of fire, and Kittleson was freed at the scene with injuries. She was allegedly transported for medical treatment, though the nature and severity of any wounds could not be confirmed

 

[DS2021]

 

[tlcya]

Hopefully the rumors are true

US journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in central Baghdad by pro-Iran militias - Türkiye Today

Kataib Hezbollah kidnaps American Al-Monitor journalist Shelly Kittleson in central Baghdad, with unconfirmed reports alleging she was later rescued

www.turkiyetoday.com

Alleged rescue amid conflicting accounts
Unconfirmed reports circulating on Iraqi social media subsequently claimed that Iraqi security forces intercepted the kidnappers as they drove toward Jurf al-Sakhar, a town south of Baghdad historically associated with Shia militia activity. According to those unverified accounts, the abductors' vehicle overturned during a pursuit involving an exchange of fire, and Kittleson was freed at the scene with injuries. She was allegedly transported for medical treatment, though the nature and severity of any wounds could not be confirmed

fingers crossed that your link is correct and mine above was not.

 

[DS2021]

https://thehill.com/policy/international/5809438-iraq-foreign-journalist-kidnapped/

Alex Plitsas, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council and a former Pentagon official, posted on the social platform X that the kidnapped journalist was Kittleson, adding that he is her designated U.S. point of contact.

“She’s the sweetest person in the world and she doesn’t have a mean bone in her body,” Plitsas said in a text to The Hill, adding she’s an American citizen who has worked in Iraq for years and also reported from Syria.

He said in his original post that any information on her whereabouts and condition should be provided to law enforcement and can be delivered to him through a direct message on X.

“I can confirm that my friend Shelly Kittleson was abducted and may have taken hostage in Baghdad by Khatib [sic] Hezbollah,” he wrote.

 

[DS2021]

US journalist kidnapped in Baghdad and security forces hunt captors, Iraqi officials say

Iraqi officials say kidnappers have seized an American female journalist in Baghdad, and security forces are chasing the group.

apnews.com

Two Iraqi security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the case, said the kidnapped journalist was a woman with U.S. citizenship.

They said that two cars were involved in the kidnapping, one of which crashed and was apprehended while being pursued by authorities near the town of Al-Haswa in Babil province southwest of Baghdad, and the journalist was transferred to a second car that fled the scene.

The interior ministry said that security forces had launched an operation to track down the kidnappers, “acting on precise intelligence and through intensive field operations” after intercepting a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers that overturned as they tried to flee.

One suspect was arrested and one of the vehicles used in the kidnapping was seized, but others remain on the loose, the statement said.

 

[sds71]

Dylan Johnson

@ASDylanJohnson

The U.S. Department of State is aware of the reported kidnapping of an American journalist in Baghdad, Iraq. The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible. An individual with ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hizballah believed to be involved in the kidnapping has been taken into custody by Iraqi authorities. Iraq remains at a Level 4 Travel Advisory and Americans are advised not to travel to Iraq for any reason and to leave Iraq now. The State Department strongly advise all Americans, including members of the press, to adhere to all travel advisories.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2039068022451613858

 

[tlcya]

Al-Monitor in a statement said it was "deeply alarmed" by Kittleson's kidnapping and called for her "safe and immediate release".

"We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work," the news organisation said.
US journalist kidnapped in Baghdad by suspected Iranian-backed armed group

United States officials contacted Kittleson multiple times with warnings of the threats against her, including as late as last night, a US official told NewsNation.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/world/american-journalist-kidnapped-iraq/

 

[DS2021]

https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/31/politics/shelly-kittleson-us-journalist-kidnapped-iraq

According to one source familiar with the warning, the US government recently warned Kittleson of a Kataib Hezbollah plot to kidnap or kill her. The warning came while she was already reporting in Iraq.

Another source said that US and Iraqi officials had been tracking threats by an Iranian proxy against Kittleson, including threats to abduct or kill her, and had warned her to leave multiple times in recent weeks.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Efforts are ongoing to locate the journalist, Shelly Kittleson, after she was abducted in a vehicle, according to Iraq's interior ministry. She is a contributor to Al-Monitor, a regional news site covering the Middle East.

In a security camera recording verified by ABC News and confirmed by Iraq's interior ministry to show the moment Kittleson was kidnapped, the journalist is seen standing on a sidewalk as a silver car approaches before being pushed toward the car, which then quickly speeds away.

The individual taken into custody has ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hezbollah, according to Dylan Johnson, assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs for the State Department.

The State Department had warned the journalist about threats against her, according to Johnson.

Kittleson was contacted multiple times with warnings of the threats, including as late as Monday night, according to a U.S. official. No details about the nature of threat she was warned about have been shared.

Search ongoing for American journalist kidnapped in Baghdad: Iraq's interior ministry

One suspect alleged to be involved in the kidnapping has been arrested, according to Iraq's interior ministry.

abcnews.com