Kataib Hezbollah Says It Frees U.S. Journalist Shelly Kittleson in Baghdad in Deal Tied to Iraqi Detainee Releases
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American journalist Shelly Kittleson was freed in Baghdad after roughly a week in captivity, with Kataib Hezbollah publicly acknowledging the abduction, saying it released her "in appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing prime minister, Mohammed Shia al‑Sudani," warning the gesture "will not be repeated," and ordering that she leave the country immediately. Iraqi officials said she was taken in two cars—one crashed near al‑Haswa in Babil province and she was transferred to a second that escaped—and two militia officials said her release came in exchange for the release of several Kataib Hezbollah members while commanders have gone underground.