American journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Iraq
American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday, according to two sources familiar with the matter as well as an Iraqi official.
Updated on: March 31, 2026 / 8:27 PM EDT / CBS News
Iraq's Interior Ministry announced that a foreign journalist was kidnapped by "unknown individuals" but did not identify who was taken. The ministry said that security forces had managed to arrest one suspect and seize a vehicle used in the abduction.
Alex Plitsas, Kittleson's designated point of contact in the U.S. and a CNN national security analyst, confirmed to CBS News that Kittleson had been kidnapped. Plitsas said that the U.S. government had warned Kittleson about a specific threat against her by the Iranian-backed paramilitary group Kata'ib Hezbollah, which was allegedly looking to kidnap or kill female journalists.
Plitsas said Kittleson was advised that her name was on a list in Kata'ib Hezbollah's possession. A second source confirmed that she had been told of a risk but that she thought it was likely false information.
Kittleson was contacted multiple times with warnings of threats against her, including as recently as Monday night, a U.S. official said.