American journalist kidnapped in Baghdad; Iraq says manhunt underway, one detained

An American journalist was kidnapped Tuesday in Baghdad and Iraqi security forces are pursuing her captors, Iraqi officials said.

The journalist was identified as freelancer Shelly Kittleson by one of the outlets she worked for. Iraqi police sources also told Reuters that the kidnapped journalist was Kittelson.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi interior ministry said in a statement that a foreign journalist had been kidnapped, without giving more details about the person’s identity.

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 US 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.

Footage shared by news networks purported to show the abduction of Kittelson. In the video, a person is seen being forcibly pushed into a car by two other individuals.

Footage shows the moment American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad. pic.twitter.com/SSYLwiFjHp

— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) March 31, 2026

The Iraqi 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.

The two security sources said the journalist was kidnapped from central Baghdad, on Saadoun Street. They added that an alert was circulated to all checkpoints, leading to a pursuit of the kidnappers as they headed southwest of Baghdad toward Babil province.

Al-Monitor, a regional news site covering the Middle East, identified the journalist kidnapped Tuesday in Baghdad as Kittleson, a freelancer who contributed to the publication. In a statement, Al-Monitor said it is “deeply alarmed” by her kidnapping.

Shafaq News reports that Iraqi security forces have opened an investigation after American journalist Shelly Kittelson was kidnapped in central Baghdad.

She was reportedly taken near the Palestine Hotel on Al Saadoun Street.

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Authorities have launched a search operation to… pic.twitter.com/ngjrWDbNbU

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 31, 2026

“We call for her safe and immediate release,” the statement said. “We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work.”

Later on Tuesday, US Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson confirmed that Washington was aware of Kittleson’s reported kidnapping.

“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,” Johnson said.

A State Department official separately told reporters that the US had reached out to Kittleson about the threats against her as recently as Monday evening.

“An individual with ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kataeb Hezbollah, believed to be involved in the kidnapping, has been taken into custody by Iraqi authorities,” Johnson said.

“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,” he added.

Kittleson has been a longtime freelancer in the region, reporting extensively from Syria and Iraq.

It was not immediately clear if the kidnapping was related to the ongoing regional war, but Iran-backed militias in Iraq have launched regular attacks on US facilities in the country since the beginning of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Since the start of the war, the US embassy has warned of kidnapping risks and urged citizens in the country to leave.

???????????? I can confirm that my friend Shelly Kittleson was abducted and may have taken hostage in Baghdad by Khatib Hezbollah. Whereabouts and condition unknown. I am her designated U.S. point of contact. If you have information please provide to law enforcement and send me a DM.

— Alex Plitsas ???????? (@alexplitsas) March 31, 2026

Alex Plitsas, who identified himself as Kittelson’s designated US point of contact in Iraq, said she was taken captive by the Iran-allied Iraqi terror group Kataib Hezbollah.

Kataib Hezbollah also kidnapped Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton graduate student with Israeli and Russian citizenship, in Baghdad in 2023. She was freed and handed over to US authorities in September 2025. The group never officially claimed responsibility for kidnapping her.