American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, according to officials and multiple reports.
Kittleson was abducted near the Palestine Hotel in central Baghdad, according to Shafaq News, citing a security source.
Security forces opened an investigation into the incident, and the search remains ongoing for “unknown individuals,” according to a release from the Iraq Ministry of Interior.
“Security forces immediately launched an operation to apprehend the perpetrators, acting on precise intelligence and through intensive field operations, tracking the kidnappers’ movements. The pursuit resulted in the interception of a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers, which overturned as they attempted to escape. Security forces were able to arrest one of the suspects and seize one of the vehicles used in the crime,” according to the release.
#BREAKING: American journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq. pic.twitter.com/j8Wfz69Msl
— Insider Wire (@InsiderWire) March 31, 2026
“The Ministry of Interior reiterates its commitment to not permitting any attempt to destabilize security or target foreign guests, and its security forces will remain vigilant and resolute in pursuing lawbreakers and bringing them to justice,” the release added.
Kittleson has written for various outlets, including BBC World, Politico, Al-Monitor and Foreign Policy, according to The New Republic. She earned the Premio Caravella award for her war zone reporting during 2017 in Italy.
“We are deeply alarmed by the kidnapping of Al-Monitor contributor Shelly Kittleson in Iraq on Tuesday,” Al-Monitor said in a statement. “We call for her safe and immediate release. We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction, Shafaq News reported Tuesday.
