Iraq's Interior Ministry said that American freelance journalist Shelley Kittelson was kidnapped by some unknown people from Baghdad on Tuesday. According to local media in Baghdad, security forces are trying to trace the kidnappers. “The US State Department is aware of reports of the alleged abduction of an American journalist in Baghdad, Iraq,” Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for the US State Department, confirmed in a post on X.
Also, regarding the ongoing investigation, the American official said that a suspect who has links with a well-known militia has been arrested by the Iraqi police. Johnson linked the arrested suspect to the Iran-backed militia group Kataib Hezbollah. Kata'ib Hezbollah is part of Iran's IRGC's Axis of Resistance.
On March 28, 2026, Israel killed three media persons in a bombing targeting a car in the Jezen area of southern Lebanon. Lebanese news outlet journalist Fatima Fattouni, Al-Manar correspondent Ali Shoaib and journalist freelance cameraman Mohammed Fattouni were killed in this attack. Many people are also seeing the kidnapping of an American journalist as revenge.
Shelley Kittelson is an American freelance journalist, reporting primarily from the Middle East and Afghanistan. She has been working on war zones, security, conflict and post-conflict issues. He has also received an award from America for his work.
Kata'ib Hezbollah is said to be behind the kidnapping of freelance journalist Shelley Kittelson. Iraqi officials said that immediately after the incident, security forces chased the kidnappers and stopped a vehicle. The vehicle overturned during the chase, following which security forces arrested a person linked to Kataib. A US State Department official confirmed that the detained individual had links to an Iran-backed militia group, although Iraqi officials have not publicly disclosed the identity of that group.
Kata'ib Hezbollah has long played a key role in a network of Iran-backed militias in Iraq whose stated goal is to expel US forces from the country. Despite its anti-American stance, the group operates in Iraq's complex political and security environment, where some militias enjoy government support.
The name of this group has been linked to incidents of detention of foreign nationals in the past also. In one such high-profile case, Elizabeth Tsurkov was detained for more than two years, after which she was released through diplomatic efforts.
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