US journalist Shelly Kittleson released after week-long abduction in Iraq

American journalist abducted in Baghdad last week has been released, the United States’ and Iraqi officials said, after negotiations involving a local group.

Shelly Kittleson was freed on Tuesday, days after she was seized from a street corner in the Iraqi capital on March 31. The armed group Kataib Hezbollah later said it decided to release her on the condition that she “leave the country immediately”.

Two officials from the group, speaking anonymously, told The Associated Press that Iraqi authorities had agreed to release several detained members of the group in exchange for Kittleson’s freedom.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the development early on Wednesday, writing on X: “We are relieved that this American is now freed and are working to support her safe departure from Iraq.” He thanked Iraqi authorities as well as US agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Defense, for their role in securing her release.

Iraqi officials said Kittleson had been held in Baghdad before being freed in the afternoon, but did not disclose her current location.

In a statement, Kataib Hezbollah said its decision came “in appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing” Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, without providing further details.

Kittleson’s family in Wisconsin received visits from FBI agents on Tuesday, though her mother initially said she had no confirmation of her daughter’s release.

The militia had not previously claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, although both US and Iraqi officials had blamed the group.

Kittleson, 49, is a veteran freelance journalist who has reported extensively from conflict zones across the Middle East, including Iraq and Syria. She had returned to Iraq shortly before her abduction, despite repeated warnings from US officials about potential threats.

Iraqi officials said gunmen used two vehicles during the kidnapping, switching cars after one crashed while being pursued near al-Haswa, southwest of Baghdad.

Efforts to secure her release faced difficulties, with officials saying militia leaders had gone into hiding. “The primary challenge is that the leaders of the Kataib militia – specifically, the commanders of the battalions – are nowhere to be found,” one official said, adding that communication had become “extremely complex”.

Kataib Hezbollah has previously been accused of abducting foreign nationals.