American journalist believed alive after kidnapping in Baghdad

Shelly Kittleson, an American journalist abducted last week in Baghdad, is believed to be alive and held by a local paramilitary group with ties to Iran, Iraqi security officials told The Washington Post.

Kittleson, who has reported across the Middle East for multiple US-based news organizations, has not been seen or heard from since her kidnapping on March 31. Her condition remains unknown.

US and Iraqi officials suspect she is being held by Kataib Hezbollah in Jurf al-Sakhar, the group’s stronghold roughly 40 miles south of Baghdad. The detention may be linked to efforts to deter US airstrikes in the area, according to three sources familiar with the situation, two of whom are Iraqi security officials. All spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

“Kataib Hezbollah, considered the most powerful militia in Iraq, has not publicly claimed responsibility for her kidnapping, offered proof she is alive, or made demands in exchange for her release,” the sources said.

The FBI, coordinating efforts to secure Kittleson’s release, and the State Department, which is assisting, declined to comment. US officials are pressing their Iraqi counterparts to take action against the Shiite militia. Influential Shiite politicians in the region are reportedly in contact with the group in hopes of securing Kittleson’s freedom.

Kataib Hezbollah is legally part of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, formed more than a decade ago to fight the Islamic State. In practice, however, it is armed and controlled by Iran’s supreme leader. Amid the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran, US forces have recently conducted airstrikes on Jurf, killing militia members. Sources noted that airstrikes have paused since Kittleson’s abduction.

The State Department had warned Kittleson of security risks multiple times, including the day before her kidnapping, emphasizing that US citizens should avoid travel to Iraq and urging those currently in the country to leave.

Journalism groups, human rights advocates, and the family of missing American journalist Austin Tice have called for Kittleson’s immediate release and accountability for her captors. The FBI is coordinating the effort through its Washington Field Office and the multiagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, while the State Department and its Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs provide assistance.

By Vafa Guliyeva