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In a recent announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the safe release of American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson, who had been kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq. Her captors were members of the Iran-backed jihadist militia group, Kata’ib Hezbollah.
In a post on X, Rubio noted that the Department of State “extends its appreciation” to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of War, as well as the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council for helping to secure Kittleson’s release. Rubio also expressed that “this resolution reflects the Trump Administration’s steadfast commitment to the safety and security of American citizens.”
“I am thrilled to share the news of Shelly Kittleson’s release. She was abducted by Kata’ib Hezbollah, a foreign terrorist organization, in the vicinity of Baghdad, Iraq,” Rubio stated.
Rubio emphasized the firm stance of the Trump administration against the wrongful detention or kidnapping of U.S. citizens. He asserted, “Such acts will not be tolerated under our watch.”
He further assured the public, “We are committed to employing every available resource to bring Americans back safely and to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.”
This announcement from Rubio followed a statement by the Iraqi Interior Ministry, which confirmed the kidnapping of a journalist in Baghdad a week prior, though at the time, Kittleson’s name had not been disclosed, as reported by News’s John Hayward.
Surveillance footage captured the dramatic moment of Kittleson’s abduction, showing two individuals forcibly ushering her into a vehicle.
Video footage of Kittleson’s abduction shows two men accosting her and forcing “her into a car”:
The Iraqi Interior Ministry confirmed that a foreign journalist was abducted on Tuesday, but did not officially reveal the identity of the victim. Two unnamed Iraqi security officials later told the Associated Press (AP) that the victim was a female United States citizen.
Video of the abduction was caught by security cameras and quickly spread across social media. In the video, two men accost the victim on a street corner in central Baghdad and force her into a car, apparently with some difficulty.
The Iraqi security sources who spoke to the Associated Press said the “unknown individuals” made their getaway in two vehicles, one of which crashed during hot pursuit near the town of Al-Haswa, south of Baghdad. The individuals and their victim transferred into another vehicle and eluded their pursuers.
In a statement, Kata’ib Hezbollah shared that Kittleson had been released on the condition that she “leave the country immediately,” the Associated Press reported.
“Two officials” from Kata’ib Hezbollah told the outlet that “in exchange” for Kittleson’s release, members of the militia group that had “been detained by Iraqi authorities would be released.”
