U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson being released after kidnapping in Iraq
American journalist Shelly Kittleson is being released on the condition that she leave Iraq immediately, an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq says.
Updated on: April 7, 2026 / 1:31 PM EDT / CBS News
American journalist Shelly Kittleson is being released a week after she was kidnapped in Baghdad, an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq said Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the Kata'ib Hezbollah militia said in a post on the group's Telegram messaging app channel that Kittleson was being released on the condition that she leave Iraq immediately.
Her whereabouts were not immediately clear.
The group released an undated video of Kittleson in which she speaks directly to the camera. It is unclear where the video was taken. It runs about two and a half minutes long and she is seen wearing a pink sweater and green blazer.
Alex Plitsas, Kittleson's designated point of contact in the U.S. and a CNN national security analyst, said on social media there wasn't any official confirmation that she was being released.