American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was abducted in central Baghdad on Tuesday, Iraqi authorities said, triggering an immediate security operation.
Kittleson, who contributes to Al-Monitor and has reported extensively from Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, was taken near the Baghdad Hotel on Al-Sa’doun Street, according to local reports. Iraqi officials said security forces moved quickly based on what they described as precise intelligence, launching a manhunt to locate her.
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During the operation, authorities tracked a vehicle believed to have been used in the kidnapping. The car reportedly overturned as the suspects attempted to flee, and at least one individual was detained. Kittleson was not found inside, and her whereabouts remain unknown.
Accounts of the abduction vary. Some reports describe gunmen seizing her in broad daylight, while others say masked individuals in plainclothes carried out the operation, fueling speculation about possible links to local militias. No group has claimed responsibility.
A US official said Washington is aware of the incident and is coordinating with Iraqi authorities as efforts continue to secure her release. The case draws comparisons to the 2023 kidnapping of researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov in Baghdad, which highlighted the risks posed by armed groups operating in the capital.
Kittleson, an American citizen based in Rome, had reportedly been cautioned about travel to Iraq prior to the trip.