American journalist Shelly Kittleson, a freelancer for several U.S. outlets, was kidnapped from a Baghdad streetcorner last week by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Iraqi militia. The group initially did not claim responsibility for the abduction, which occurred on March 31.
Kataib Hezbollah announced Tuesday it would release Kittleson as a gesture of goodwill toward Iraq’s outgoing prime minister, but stipulated she must leave the country immediately. An Iraqi official confirmed her release in the afternoon, stating she had been held in Baghdad.
Reports indicate Kittleson’s release may have been connected to the release of militia members. Like many freelancers, she operated with limited resources and without the security provided to staff journalists from larger organizations.
Kittleson has been freed and her current whereabouts are not publicly known.