American journalist Shelly Kittleson abducted in Iraq – AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent since 2012
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American journalist Shelly Kittleson abducted in Iraq
The State Department said a suspect taken into custody by Iraqi authorities had ties to Kataib Hezbollah.
Amberin Zaman
,
Elizabeth Hagedorn
Mar 31, 2026 American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said, as security forces work to track down the perpetrators. The ministry said in a statement that an operation was launched immediately based on what it called “precise intelligence.” It said that Iraqi authorities had intercepted one of the vehicles believed to belong to her abductors that flipped over as they tried to flee, but Kittleson was not in that vehicle. Local news reports indicated she was abducted near the Baghdad Hotel on Saadoun Street. The State Department said a suspect taken into custody by Iraqi authorities had ties to the pro-Iranian militia Kataib Hezbollah.
Published: March 31, 2026 5:06 pm
Source: al-monitor.com — Read original