By Gabe Whisnant
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An American journalist was kidnapped Tuesday in Baghdad, prompting Iraqi security forces to launch a manhunt for her captors, Iraqi officials said.
The journalist was identified as freelance reporter Shelly Kittleson by Al‑Monitor, a Middle East news outlet to which she has contributed. In a statement, the publication said it was “deeply alarmed” by her abduction and called for her “safe and immediate release.”
Iraq’s Interior Ministry said in a statement that a foreign journalist had been kidnapped but did not identify the person. Two Iraqi security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly, confirmed that the victim is a woman with U.S. citizenship.
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The officials said the kidnapping involved two vehicles. According to their account, the journalist was abducted from central Baghdad on Saadoun Street, a commercial area near several hotels. After the abduction, the kidnappers transferred her from the first vehicle into a second car.
Security forces pursued the kidnappers as they traveled southwest of Baghdad toward Babil province, the officials said. One of the vehicles used in the kidnapping crashed near the town of Al‑Haswa in Babil province while being chased by authorities. That vehicle was apprehended, but the journalist was no longer inside.
The Interior Ministry said security forces launched an operation to track down the kidnappers, “acting on precise intelligence and through intensive field operations,” after intercepting a vehicle linked to the abduction that overturned during the pursuit.
One suspect was arrested and one of the vehicles used in the kidnapping was seized, the ministry said, but other suspects remain at large.
The two Iraqi security officials said an alert was circulated to checkpoints across the region, enabling security forces to track and pursue the kidnappers as they fled Baghdad.
In its statement, Al‑Monitor said it stands by Kittleson’s reporting and urged Iraqi authorities to ensure her swift release.
“We call for her safe and immediate release,” the outlet said. “We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work.”
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Who Is Shelly Kittleson?
Kittleson has worked as a freelancer in the Middle East for years from conflict‑affected regions, including Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Her work has appeared in outlets such as the BBC, Al‑Monitor, Politico, Foreign Policy and New Lines Magazine, with a focus on security issues, militias and the impact of war on civilians.
Kittleson has been based in Iraq for much of her reporting and has covered topics ranging from the fight against the Islamic State to Iran‑backed armed groups operating in the country.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad declined to comment on the kidnapping. The U.S. State Department said it was aware of the reports and monitoring the situation.
“The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans,” the State Department said in a statement. “Due to privacy and other considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time.”
Why Was Shelly Kittleson Kidnapped?
It was not immediately clear whether the kidnapping was linked to the ongoing regional conflict. Since the start of the U.S.‑Israeli war on Iran, Iran‑backed militias in Iraq have launched repeated attacks on U.S. diplomatic and military facilities in the country.
Following the outbreak of the war, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued warnings about heightened kidnapping risks and urged American citizens to leave Iraq.
Foreign nationals have previously been abducted in Iraq, including before the current conflict. In 2023, Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton University graduate student with Israeli and Russian citizenship, disappeared in Baghdad. After she was freed and handed over to U.S. authorities in September 2025, Tsurkov said she had been held by the Iran‑allied Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah. The group never officially claimed responsibility for her kidnapping.
Iraqi authorities have not said whether any armed group is suspected in Kittleson’s abduction, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Updates: 3/31/26, 3:52 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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