Iraq
Members of the Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group, Kata'ib Hezbollah, participate in a military parade. File photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A powerful Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group, Kata’ib Hezbollah, on Tuesday announced it will be releasing an American journalist who was abducted from the heart of Baghdad in broad daylight last week, provided she leaves the country immediately.
In a statement on Telegram, the group’s spokesperson Abu Mujahid al-Assaf said Kata’ib Hezbollah has decided to release the freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson "on the condition that she leaves the country immediately,” attributing the move to the "patriotic stances" of outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.
The "initiative would not be repeated in the coming days, as we are in a state of war launched by the [Israeli] Zionist-American enemy against Islam, and in such circumstances, many considerations are set aside," Assaf added.
Kittleson was abducted last Tuesday on Saadoun Street in central Baghdad. Reports from Iraqi security officials, along with surveillance footage, show four men in civilian clothes kidnapping her near the Palestine Hotel, triggering a high-speed pursuit by security forces.
An eyewitness at the scene then told Rudaw that “three people surrounded her [Kittleson], and one of them grabbed her from behind.” Mohammed Abdullah added, “She kept screaming, then a second person came closer, trapping her between them. The driver then started the car and took her away. We don’t know where they took her.”
Kittleson’s abduction quickly prompted international reactions, with the US State Department announcing it is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to locate and rescue her.
Dylan Johnson, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, confirmed the abduction on social media, stating that “an individual with ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kata’ib Hezbollah believed to be involved in the kidnapping has been taken into custody by Iraqi authorities.”
For his part, Sudani on Friday ordered that “maximum measures” be taken to address “cases of kidnapping foreign nationals.”
In a statement posted on X, the Iraqi premier’s office reported that he chaired a high-profile security meeting, urging top intelligence and security officials to “take maximum measures to pursue those involved in these hostile acts, which harm the country’s reputation and affect citizens’ interests,” while underscoring “the importance of making every effort to preserve internal security.”
In a statement on Telegram, the group’s spokesperson Abu Mujahid al-Assaf said Kata’ib Hezbollah has decided to release the freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson "on the condition that she leaves the country immediately,” attributing the move to the "patriotic stances" of outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.
The "initiative would not be repeated in the coming days, as we are in a state of war launched by the [Israeli] Zionist-American enemy against Islam, and in such circumstances, many considerations are set aside," Assaf added.
Kittleson was abducted last Tuesday on Saadoun Street in central Baghdad. Reports from Iraqi security officials, along with surveillance footage, show four men in civilian clothes kidnapping her near the Palestine Hotel, triggering a high-speed pursuit by security forces.
An eyewitness at the scene then told Rudaw that “three people surrounded her [Kittleson], and one of them grabbed her from behind.” Mohammed Abdullah added, “She kept screaming, then a second person came closer, trapping her between them. The driver then started the car and took her away. We don’t know where they took her.”
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) April 1, 2026
Kittleson’s abduction quickly prompted international reactions, with the US State Department announcing it is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to locate and rescue her.
Dylan Johnson, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, confirmed the abduction on social media, stating that “an individual with ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kata’ib Hezbollah believed to be involved in the kidnapping has been taken into custody by Iraqi authorities.”
For his part, Sudani on Friday ordered that “maximum measures” be taken to address “cases of kidnapping foreign nationals.”
In a statement posted on X, the Iraqi premier’s office reported that he chaired a high-profile security meeting, urging top intelligence and security officials to “take maximum measures to pursue those involved in these hostile acts, which harm the country’s reputation and affect citizens’ interests,” while underscoring “the importance of making every effort to preserve internal security.”
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