US Journalist Shelly Kittleson Kidnapped in Baghdad

Freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson, a US citizen, was kidnapped on Tuesday evening in Baghdad by individuals linked to the Iranian-backed paramilitary group Kata'ib Hezbollah. The abduction occurred on Saadoun Street in central Baghdad near the Palestine Hotel.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry confirmed that security forces arrested one suspect and seized a vehicle used in the kidnapping after pursuing the abductors. One of the vehicles involved in the kidnapping overturned near Al-Haswa, a town southwest of Baghdad, while another car carrying Kittleson fled the scene. According to CBS News, Alex Plitsas, Kittleson's designated point of contact in the U.S., confirmed her kidnapping and noted that the U.S. government had warned her about specific threats from Kata'ib Hezbollah.

Kittleson, an award-winning journalist with over 15 years of experience reporting on the Middle East, contributes to outlets such as Politico, Foreign Policy magazine, and the BBC World Service. She works as a freelance reporter for Al-Monitor, which released a statement calling for her immediate release. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also expressed deep concern and called on Iraqi authorities to ensure Kittleson's safe return.

The State Department confirmed through an apost on X that they had previously warned Kittleson about the threats and were coordinating with the FBI to secure her release. An Iraqi official told CBS News that authorities are working 'at the highest level' to locate those involved in the kidnapping, with multiple agencies including the FBI, National Security Council, State Department, Delta Force, and the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service involved in the efforts.

Footage has emerged which appears to show Kittleson being kidnapped. The video shows a car pulling up alongside her as she stands on a street corner in central Baghdad. Two men approach her; one gets out of the car while another walks alongside it. There is a brief struggle before they bundle her into the back of the vehicle, which then speeds off.

Hussein Alawi, an adviser to Iraq's prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, stated that Kittleson had attempted to enter Iraq via the al-Qaim crossing from Syria on March 9 but was turned back due to lack of a press work permit and security concerns related to the escalation of the war and aerial projectiles over Iraqi airspace. She later entered the country with a single-entry 60-day visa.

Kittleson, who often took on dangerous assignments, was warned about looming risks that coincided with her coverage but didn’t believe threats against her were credible before she was kidnapped in Iraq on Tuesday. Viral surveillance footage appeared to show Kittleson being forced into a car by two men at a busy intersection in Baghdad. The State Department has said an individual with ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hizballah is believed to be involved.

The 49-year-old freelance journalist, an American citizen and Wisconsin native based in Rome, reported from war zones for years, spending time in Afghanistan and Syria before Iraq. She often worked without formal assignments from editors and on a shoestring budget, taking shared taxis to lawless corners of Iraq where militia rule outweighs government control.

Kittleson's mother told the Associated Press she had not seen her daughter in person in nearly 25 years, as she left Wisconsin to study in Italy when she was 19 years old before eventually settling in Iraq. Kittleson exchanged emails with her mother on a regular basis, often sharing recent photos.