The kidnapping of an American journalist, allegedly by an Iranian-backed extremist group, was caught on video in Baghdad Tuesday.
According to The Associated Press, the kidnapped woman was identified as Shelly Kittleson, a freelancer who contributes to Middle Eastern outlet Al-Monitor.
Al-Monitor said it was “deeply alarmed” by the kidnapping in a statement.
“We call for her safe and immediate release,” the statement added. “We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work.”
However, The Washington Post reported she was not on assignment for Al-Monitor when she was abducted. Based in Rome, she also contributes to the BBC, Foreign Policy, and Politico.
Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs for the State Department, said they were “aware of the reported kidnapping of an American journalist in Baghdad.”
Video widely distributed on social media showed Kittleson being forced into a vehicle by several men:
Slightly higher quality. pic.twitter.com/w6JjKFls6u
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) March 31, 2026
While some reports said that Kittleson had been found alive but wounded, Al-Monitor’s report disputed this, saying that “security forces” were “work[ing] to track down the perpetrators.”
— Esam79 (@Esam793) March 31, 2026
Iraqi security officials told the AP that there were two vehicles involved in the kidnapping.
One crashed during the pursuit in the town of Al-Haswa, south of Baghdad. However, officials said Kittleson was then transferred to the second vehicle.
American officials said that Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah was responsible for the kidnapping.
The group, which came together in the mid-2000s, is part of what Iran has called its “Axis of Resistance” — a region-wide group of allies and proxies that act in the interests of Tehran.
The axis has significantly deteriorated over the past few years, with the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the decimation of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and Lebanon’s crackdown on Hezbollah.
During the Iraq War, Kataib Hezbollah was notorious for its successes in injuring American forces with roadside improvised explosive devices, according to the Counter Extremism Project.
In early March, the group promised to protect Iran via “severe attacks” on American interests in the region, threatening attacks on “economic interests, companies, tools of influence and military camps in Iraq and the region” which would “turn into rubble beyond their calculations.”
However, it’s unclear what role the group has played, if any, in the current conflict beyond the kidnapping of Kittleson.
A man who identified himself as Kittleson’s “designated U.S. point of contact” — Alex Plitsas of the Atlantic Council — said American officials “acted immediately” and were “working very hard across multiple agencies and departments” to secure her return.
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