A chilling video that is circulating on social media claims to show the exact moment American journalist Shelly Kittleson was abducted in Iraq. The clip appears to show Kittleson attempting to enter a vehicle before being snatched by two unknown people.
Deadline reports the journalist was kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, on Tuesday, March 31. The country’s interior ministry said authorities were still pursuing the abductors, per the report.
Kittleson’s friend and point of contact, CNN national security analyst Alex Plitsas, posted on X, “I can confirm that my friend Shelly Kittleson was abducted” before adding that she may have been “taken hostage in Baghdad.” He went on, “Whereabouts and condition unknown. I am her point of contact. If you have information please provide to law enforcement and send me a DM.”
Shelly Kittleson’s Friend Indicates Reports of Kittleson’s Release Are False, U.S. Official Says She Previously Received Threats
Shortly after sharing his first message regarding Kittleson’s kidnapping, Plitsas reposted another message that reads, “The American journalist Shelly Kittleson still kidnapped, any reports of her release are false, according to Iraq’s ministry of Interior, and search operations are still ongoing.”
This update comes after an India-based YouTube channel claimed Kittleson had been rescued and taken to a hospital.
Plitsas also reposted a message from Dylan Johnson, who serves as the United States’ Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs. Johnson wrote, “The U.S. Department of State is aware of the reported kidnapping of an American journalist in Baghdad, Iraq. 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 possible.”
He also issued a warning to all Americans about staying safe, writing, “The State Department strongly advises all Americans, including members of the press, to adhere to all travel advisories.”
Who Is Shelly Kittleson?
On her Instagram page, which has over 2,000 followers, Kittleson describes herself as a “journalist reporting from the Middle East and Afghanistan,” and says she’s “based mostly in Baghdad.”
Deadline says the reporter contributed to several publications including AL-Monitor, which describes itself as “the Middle East’s leading independent since 2012” and “the most authoritative roundup on Middle East news.”
She was also associated with Politico, BBC World Service, and Foreign Policy, among others.
AL-Monitor released a statement on the incident which reads, “We are deeply alarmed by the kidnapping of Al-Monitor contributor Shelly Kittleson in Iraq on Tuesday. We call for her safe and immediate release. We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work.
