US journalist Shelly Kittleson, kidnapped in Iraq, freed after a week

American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been released in Iraq days after her abduction in Baghdad, an Iraqi official confirmed. Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah indicated it freed her with conditions and amid reports of a possible prisoner swap.

In Short

• American journalist Shelly Kittleson was abducted in Baghdad on March 31
• Kataib Hezbollah announced her release citing Iraqi PM's patriotic stances
• Kittleson must leave Iraq immediately after her release

American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was abducted in Baghdad last week, has been released, an Iraqi official told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said she was freed in the afternoon but did not disclose her current location.

Kittleson had been held in Baghdad since her kidnapping on March 31. Her release came hours after the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah issued a statement saying it had decided to free her.

MILITIA ANNOUNCES RELEASE, SETS CONDITION

In its statement, Kataib Hezbollah said the decision was taken “in appreciation of the patriotic stances” of outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, without elaborating further.

The group also set a condition, saying Kittleson must leave Iraq immediately following her release. It added that such an “initiative will not be repeated in the future”.

While the militia had not earlier claimed responsibility for the abduction, both US and Iraqi officials had pointed to its involvement.

BACKCHANNEL TALKS AND POSSIBLE SWAP

Two militia officials told AP that Kittleson’s release may be linked to the potential freeing of several Kataib Hezbollah members held by Iraqi authorities. According to Iraqi officials, six detained members – some accused in attacks on US bases in Syria – were under consideration for release.

Efforts to negotiate her freedom had faced hurdles earlier in the day, with Iraqi security officials citing difficulty in establishing contact with the militia’s leadership.

“The commanders are nowhere to be found they’ve gone underground,” one official said, pointing to fears among militia leaders of being targeted.

A member of the Iran-aligned Coordination Framework political bloc confirmed that messages had been sent to the group to determine its demands.

ABDUCTION IN BAGHDAD

Kittleson, 49, was kidnapped from a Baghdad street corner. Iraqi officials said two vehicles were involved in the operation, one of which crashed during a pursuit near al-Haswa in Babil province. She was then transferred to another vehicle that escaped.

A veteran Middle East reporter, Kittleson had spent years working independently across Iraq and Syria. Like many freelancers, she operated without institutional backing and had recently returned to Iraq despite warnings from US officials about potential threats.

MILITIA’S RECORD UNDER SCRUTINY

Kataib Hezbollah has previously been accused of targeting foreign nationals. In a similar case, Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian researcher, was abducted in Baghdad in 2023 and later said she had been held by the group after her release in 2025. The militia has never formally acknowledged involvement in such kidnappings.

Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq have also stepped up attacks on US-linked targets in the region amid ongoing tensions linked to the broader West Asia conflict.

- Ends
With AP inputs