US Journalist Kidnapped in Baghdad Amid Regional Tensions
American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in central Baghdad on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, according to Iraq's Interior Ministry and her employer, the Middle East-focused publication Al-Monitor. The abduction occurred on Saadoun Street, and CCTV footage obtained by The Associated Press appears to show two men approaching a person and ushering them into a car. Police officials stated that four men in civilian clothes were involved in the seizure. Details of the kidnapping operation emerged, indicating that two cars were involved. One vehicle crashed during a pursuit near the town of Al-Haswa in Babil province, southwest of Baghdad, after which the journalist was transferred to a second car that fled the scene. Kittleson, a Wisconsin native with years of experience reporting from Iraq, had previously been warned of kidnapping threats in the region. The United States government has stated that Kittleson was kidnapped by a suspected Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group. This incident occurs against a backdrop of deteriorating regional security following recent US-Israeli attacks on Iran. The kidnapping coincides with President Trump preparing to address the nation about the Iran war, as other regional tensions flare, including Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
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See All Newsletters ... U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson poses for a cellphone photo in a cafe in Baghdad, Iraq, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo) Read More ... U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson poses for a cellphone photo in a cafe in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo) Read More ... A street view shows the street corner in central Baghdad’s Saadoun Street where U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped ...
CCTV appears to show moment US journalist kidnapped in Iraq | The Independent
CCTV footage appears to show the moment US journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday, March 31. The video, obtained by The Associated Press, depicts two men approaching a person on a street corner and ushering them into a car. Kittleson, a freelance reporter with years of experience in Iraq ...
CCTV footage appears to show moment US journalist is kidnapped in Baghdad – video | Iraq | The Guardian
American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been kidnapped in Baghdad by a suspected Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group, the US has said, as regional security deteriorates after the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Police officials in Iraq said Kittleson was seized by four men in civilian clothes and ...
They said that two cars were involved in the kidnapping, one of which crashed while being pursued near the town of Al-Haswa in Babil province southwest of Baghdad. The journalist was then transferred to a second car that fled the scene. Al-Monitor, a news organization that Kittleson contributes ...
CPJ said Iraq accounts for 10% ... missing worldwide. Al-Monitor said in a statement it is "deeply alarmed" by her kidnapping. "We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work," it said. According to CPJ, Kittleson's most recent article, published Tuesday in the Italian newspaper Il Foglio, ...
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