Kidnapped Shelly Kittleson Is Freed in Iraq

An American journalist seized off a Baghdad street has been freed after a week of captivity, reports the New York Times. Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Iraqi militia aligned with Iran, said Tuesday it had released 49-year-old Shelly Kittleson and ordered her to leave the country. A militia commander said the group's decision to release Kittleson came "in appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing prime minister," Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who had been negotiating for her release, per the AP.

Two Iraqi security officials say Kittleson's freedom came as part of a swap for several detained militia members, according to the Times. Kittleson is a freelance correspondent who has covered conflicts in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan for outlets including Al-Monitor. She had reportedly been warned about threats against her in the days before her abduction. The episode underscores US concerns about Iranian-backed militias, which have repeatedly targeted American interests in Iraq and the region and prompted the US Embassy in March to urge all US citizens to leave the country.