Daijiworld Media Network - Baghdad

Baghdad, Apr 1: An American journalist has been kidnapped in Baghdad, with Iraqi security forces launching an intensive operation to track down the captors, officials said.

The journalist has been identified as freelancer Shelly Kittleson, who has contributed to regional publication Al-Monitor.

According to Iraqi officials, the kidnapping took place on Tuesday in central Baghdad. Security sources said two vehicles were involved in the abduction. One of the vehicles overturned during a chase near Al-Haswa in Babil province, leading to the arrest of one suspect, while the journalist was transferred to another vehicle that managed to escape.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry confirmed that a foreign journalist had been abducted and said a search operation was underway using “precise intelligence and intensive field efforts.”

Authorities have seized one of the vehicles used in the crime, but several suspects remain at large. An alert has been issued across checkpoints as security forces continue to pursue the kidnappers.

Al-Monitor expressed deep concern over the incident and called for Kittleson’s immediate and safe release, praising her reporting from the region.

The United States Department of State said it is monitoring the situation, adding that the safety of American citizens remains a top priority.

The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in Iraq, where Iran-backed militias have previously targeted US interests and kidnapped foreigners. In a similar case, Elizabeth Tsurkov was abducted in Baghdad in 2023 and later freed in 2025, reportedly after being held by the militia Kataib Hezbollah.