By An American freelance journalist was abducted Tuesday in central Baghdad, Iraqi officials said, in a brazen daytime kidnapping that underscores persistent security risks in the Iraqi capital.
Shelly Kittleson, a U.S.-based correspondent who has reported extensively from Iraq for outlets including Foreign Policy, BBC, and Politico, was taken by armed men who intercepted her vehicle on a busy street, according to Iraq’s Interior Ministry and eyewitness video circulating online.
Footage from surveillance cameras and mobile phones appears to show multiple assailants stopping Kittleson’s car in traffic before forcibly removing her and placing her into another vehicle. The kidnappers then fled the scene. No group had claimed responsibility as of Tuesday evening.
🚨 BREAKING: U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson has been kidnapped in Baghdad, and authorities are actively searching for her, Iraq’s Interior Ministry confirms.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 31, 2026
Iraq’s Interior Ministry confirmed the abduction and said security forces quickly initiated a response. According to the ministry, authorities pursued suspects linked to the incident, intercepting at least one vehicle and detaining a suspect. Officials said additional operations are ongoing.
Kittleson has spent more than a decade reporting from Iraq and the broader Middle East, focusing on political developments, security issues, and the aftermath of the الحرب against the Islamic State. Based primarily in Baghdad since around 2014, she has built a reputation for detailed, on-the-ground reporting for outlets including Al-Monitor and Newlines Magazine.
Her abduction recalls earlier incidents involving foreign nationals in Iraq, including the 2023 kidnapping of researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov in Baghdad. That case drew international attention to the continued influence of armed groups and militias operating within the country, even after the formal end of large-scale combat operations against ISIS.
🚨🚨🚨 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
While Iraq has seen a relative decline in widespread violence in recent years, targeted kidnappings and attacks—particularly against journalists, researchers, and foreign nationals—remain a concern. Analysts have long warned that fragmented security structures and the presence of non-state armed actors create vulnerabilities, especially in urban areas.
As of Tuesday night, Iraqi security forces said they were continuing search operations and pursuing leads. Authorities pledged to intensify efforts until Kittleson is located.
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad had not issued a public statement by late Tuesday.
The incident has drawn concern from journalists and regional observers, who note that reporting in Iraq, while more accessible than during the height of the war, still carries significant risk.
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