An American journalist kidnapped in Iraq has been released, according to multiple reports.
Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah said on April 7 that it would release abducted U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson, reported Reuters, theNew York Timesand theAssociated Press.The group added that she must leave Iraq immediately.
Kittleson, 49, was kidnapped on March 31 on a busy street in central Baghdad, Reuters andUSA TODAY previouslyreported. Both U.S. and Iraqi officials said Kataib Hezbollah was responsible for the abduction, and the group offered on April 1 to negotiate with the Iraqi government for her release in exchange for several militia members being held by authorities, according tothe New York Times.
Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026.
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U.S. President Donald Trump pumps his fist after disembarking Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., February 27, 2026. Hours later, Trump made live comments about the military strikes he launched against Iran.
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Buildings inin Tehran stand after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, February 28, 2026.
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Latest photos capture US and Israeli strikes against Iran
Smoke rises following an explosion,after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026.
A spokesperson for Kataib Hezbollah said Kittleson was freed "in appreciation of the patriotic positions” of Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who had been negotiating for her release, reported the AP and the Times.
“This initiative will not be repeated in the future,” the militia's statement said, according to the same sources. "We are in a state of war waged by the Zionist-American enemy against Islam and in such situations, many considerations are disregarded.”
The U.S. and Iraqi governments have not yet confirmed Kittleson's release or whereabouts. USA TODAY reached out to Iraq's Ministry of Interior and the U.S. State Department for comment.
Who is Shelly Kittleson?
Kittleson is an independent journalist living in the Middle East,USA TODAY previously reported.Her work has appeared in multiple publications over the past decade, including Al Majalla, Al-Monitor, ANSA and RAI Radiotre, among other freelance work,according to her public LinkedIn account. Other social media profiles show she has worked for publications like BBC World Service and Politico.
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Kittleson also won the coveted Italian journalism award Premio Caravella in 2017 for her war zone reporting, according to the Italian Institute for International Political Studies.
Middle East news siteAl-Monitor, which first identified Kittleson upon abduction, said she has covered several wars in the region and had contributed articles to the outlet. The publication called for her "safe and immediate release" after Iraq's Ministry of Interior confirmed the kidnappingin a March 31 Facebook post.
Americanofficials had previously warned Kittlesonof threats against her, according to a social media post from Dylan Johnson, a U.S. State Department senior official. Johnson said in other posts that the State Department and FBI were working to secure her release "as quickly as possible."
Kittelson is originally from Mount Horeb, a small village in south-central Wisconsin, her mother, Barb Kittleson,told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,part of the USA TODAY network, on April 1.
"She just wanted to help people. She’s just a journalist," her mother said.
This story will be updated.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Journalist Shelly Kittleson released after Iraq kidnapping