Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
US journalist Shelly Kittleson released by Iran-backed militia, Iraqi official says
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US journalist Shelly Kittleson poses for a cellphone photo in a cafe in Baghdad, Iraq, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo)
American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped in Baghdad last week, has been released, an Iraqi official with direct knowledge of the situation says.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, says Kittleson was freed in the afternoon.
He does not share her current whereabouts but says that prior to her release, she had been held in Baghdad.
The powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement earlier in the day that it had decided to free the journalist, and officials with the militia told The Associated Press that members of the group previously detained by Iraqi authorities would be released in exchange.
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