JUST IN: American Journalist Kidnapped By Armed Men In Iraq

American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was abducted by a group of armed me in central Baghdad on Tuesday, according to a statement from the Iraqi Interior Ministry.

Iraqi authorities identified her as the victim of the incident, which occurred in broad daylight near the Baghdad Hotel on Saadoun Street. Video footage of the incident shows a group of armed men dressed in civilian clothes stopping Kittleson’s vehicle outside the hotel.

The journalist was then forced out and whisked away to another vehicle, at which point the abductors took off. The brazen kidnapping took place in broad daylight, in front of dozens of eyewitnesses.

No specific group has claimed responsibility for the abduction as of this report.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry confirmed the abduction of a foreign journalist and stated that specialized units launched an immediate operation based on intelligence tracking and field follow-up. The ministry reported that security forces pursued the kidnappers, surrounded a vehicle believed to have been used in the crime, and arrested one suspect after the vehicle overturned during an attempt to flee.

The ministry added that efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining suspects and secure her release. Iraqi media outlet Shafaq News reported that authorities were acting on “precise intelligence.”

Kittleson is a U.S.-born freelance journalist and photojournalist who has reported primarily on the Middle East and Afghanistan. She began her career in Afghanistan around 2010–2011, where she produced radio documentaries for Italy’s RAI.

She has contributed to Al-Monitor since 2014, where she primarily covers Iraqi politics, armed factions, U.S.-Iraq relations, security issues, and sectarian violence in Iraq and Syria. Her work has also appeared in Foreign Policy, The National, Christian Science Monitor, and other outlets.

Kittleson has frequently embedded with forces in conflict areas, including with the Peshmerga in Iraq, and has made multiple trips into opposition-held parts of Syria

A great journalist who cares deeply about the #MiddleEast & its people has just been kidnapped in #Baghdad, #Iraq.

Shelly Kittleson (@shellykittleson) was taken by #Iran’s proxies within #Iraq’s state security apparatus.#Iraq’s government must immediately secure her release. pic.twitter.com/4N2PkJgzdT

— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) March 31, 2026

“We are deeply alarmed by the kidnapping of Al-Monitor contributor Shelly Kittleson in Iraq on Tuesday. We call for her safe and immediate release,” Al-Monitor announced in a statement. “We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work.”

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