US journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Iraq to be freed in bombshell move

US journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Iraq to be freed in bombshell moveIraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah says it has decided to release American journalist Shelly KittlesonNewsZahra Khaliq News Reporter17:30, 07 Apr 2026Updated 17:42, 07 Apr 2026View Image Shelly Kittleson(Image: AFP via Getty Images)American journalist Shelly Kittleson - who was kidnapped from a Baghdad street corner last week - is set to be released in a bombshell move.‌Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah said the decision came "in appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing Prime Minister" Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, without giving more details, and added Kittleson must leave Iraq immediately.‌"This initiative will not be repeated in future," the group added. Kittleson's whereabouts were not immediately clear.‌The US freelance reporter, based in the Middle East and Afghanistan, has featured in Foreign Policy, the BBC World Service, New Lines Magazine, Politico and Al Majalla, among other outlets, according to her X profile.The Iraqi interior ministry said a female "foreign journalist was kidnapped by unknown individuals" in the capital Baghdad on March 31, adding that security forces are hunting down the perpetrators.Article continues belowThe journalist was later identified as Kittleson by Al-Monitor, one of the news outlets for which she has worked.Footage shared by Al Arabiya appeared to show a woman being forced into a car by two men before the vehicle speeds off.This is a breaking news story. Follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook or visit The Mirror homepage.