Iraq Crisis Deepens as Security Forces Launch Urgent Manhunt After US Journalist Shelly Kittleson Goes Missing

US freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, on Tuesday evening, according to Al-Monitor, where she contributed. Concerns mount for her safety as Iraqi and U.S. officials link one suspect to an Iran-backed militia, possibly Kataib Hezbollah.

Security forces pursued the kidnappers, causing a crash that enabled one arrest. Kittleson remains missing despite urgent efforts. U.S. officials had warned her of threats as recently as Monday.

While officials work urgently to secure Shelly Kittleson's safety, State Department Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson confirmed her abduction. Without naming her directly, he stated an American journalist had been kidnapped.

Johnson wrote on X: “The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Kittleson was warned by the US about possible threats to her life from Iran-backed paramilitaries. Her emergency contact, Alex Plitsas, said she was informed that Kataib Hezbollah was plotting to kidnap or kill female journalists, with her name on their list.

Kittleson reportedly dismissed the warnings as false information. According to Al-Monitor, she was abducted from a hotel in central Baghdad, and Iraqi officials are now coordinating with the FBI for her release.

Following her Tuesday abduction, Iraq's interior ministry announced security forces launched a search for the kidnappers. Officials used strong intelligence to track suspects closely, capturing one after a pursuit.

The remaining kidnappers remain at large, identified only as "unknown individuals." Efforts continue to apprehend them and rescue Shelly Kittleson safely.

"Security forces immediately launched an operation to apprehend the perpetrators, acting on precise intelligence and through intensive field operations, tracking the kidnappers' movements," the ministry stated via BBC.

“The pursuit resulted in the interception of a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers, which overturned as they attempted to escape,” they added. “The Ministry affirms that efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining perpetrators and secure the release of the abducted woman, and to take due legal action against all those involved in this criminal act, in accordance with the law.”

Rome-based Shelly Kittleson has reported from conflict zones including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. This marks her first abduction on the job. The FBI, National Security Council, and Iraqi forces are now collaborating on her rescue.