Alhurra’s correspondent in Iraq reported on Tuesday that American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in the capital, Baghdad, on Tuesday by armed men wearing civilian clothing.
Kittleson, who resides in Baghdad, works as a correspondent for the U.S.-based website Al-Monitor and other foreign media outlets, and has been present in the Iraqi capital for several years.
According to Al-Monitor: “Kittleson, a U.S. citizen who spent years in Italy and currently resides in Rome, is known for her courageous reporting from conflict zones in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.”
The U.S. website added: “Kittleson has no known agenda and has contributed to numerous publications, including Al-Monitor. Sources in the Trump administration confirmed to Al-Monitor that they were aware of the threat against her and had advised her not to travel to Iraq.”
The Iraqi Ministry of Interior confirmed the kidnapping, stating in a press release that “pursuit and follow-up operations against the abductors resulted in their vehicle being surrounded, causing it to overturn as they attempted to flee.”
It added: “Security forces were able to arrest one of the suspects and seize one of the vehicles used in the crime.”
Alhurra obtained video footage of the moment of the kidnapping, recorded by cameras from a shop near the site of the incident. It also obtained images of the vehicle that was transporting her, which overturned on the border of Babil province in southern Iraq, where the kidnappers had taken her. However, Alhurra has not yet been able to independently verify the authenticity of these materials for publication.
A security source told Alhurra that the detainee carried identification linked to an armed faction.
Alhurra has also obtained the name of the detainee but is withholding publication as legal procedures have not yet begun.
Al-Monitor compared Kittleson’s kidnapping to the abduction of Russian-Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped from a café in Baghdad in March 2023, when she was held by the Iran-aligned Kataib Hezbollah for 903 days before being released under an agreement mediated by the United States.
In recent days, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad warned American citizens against remaining in Iraq and urged them to leave due to what it described as “threats” posed by Iran-backed armed factions.
Alhurra will continue to provide ongoing updates on developments in the case of journalist Kittleson.
Mustafa Saadoon
Mustafa Saadoon is an Iraqi journalist who has worked for several international and Arab media organizations. He covers politics and human rights.
