Baghdad: The Iraqi government has confirmed that a foreign female journalist has been abducted, sparking an extensive security operation to track down the perpetrators and ensure her safety. According to a report by The Hill, authorities are currently focused on locating the victim and securing her release following the evening kidnapping.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry stated on March 31 that security units engaged in a high-speed pursuit of the kidnappers. The chase resulted in the interception of a vehicle, which reportedly overturned as the perpetrators attempted to flee the scene.
Following the crash, security forces successfully apprehended one of the suspects and impounded a vehicle used in the crime. “The Ministry affirms that efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining individuals involved, secure the release of the kidnapped journalist, and take all necessary legal measures against all those involved in this criminal act, in accordance with the law,” the ministry declared in an official statement.
While the Iraqi authorities did not officially disclose the identity of the journalist, Alex Plitsas, a non-resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council and former Pentagon official, identified the victim as US citizen Shelly Kittleson. In a post on the social platform X, Plitsas confirmed he is acting as her designated US point of contact, noting her extensive experience reporting from both Iraq and Syria.
“She’s the sweetest person in the world, and she doesn’t have a mean bone in her body,” Plitsas told The Hill, adding that any information regarding her current location or state of health should be shared with law enforcement immediately.
In his initial disclosure, Plitsas suggested that a specific armed faction might be responsible for the disappearance. “I can confirm that my friend Shelly Kittleson was abducted and may have been taken hostage in Baghdad by Khatib [sic] Hezbollah,” he wrote, stating that her “whereabouts and condition [are] unknown.”
The group in question, Kataib Hezbollah, is a powerful militia with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). As highlighted by The Hill, the group previously held Israeli-Russian academic Elizabeth Tsurkov for over two years. Tsurkov, who was eventually liberated through US intervention, has since provided harrowing accounts of the torture and sexual assault she faced during her captivity.
The militia is described as having been founded on anti-American sentiment, with the explicit goal of driving US forces from Iraq. Despite this hostile agenda, the group is reportedly partially funded by the Iraqi government, creating a complex backdrop for the ongoing efforts to recover the missing journalist.
(With inputs from ANI)
