American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been freed, Iraqi official says

Key Points:

• American journalist Shelly Kittleson, kidnapped in Baghdad on March 31, has been released, according to an Iraqi official and the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah, which claimed responsibility for her abduction.
• Kataib Hezbollah stated it freed Kittleson in appreciation of outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's patriotic stances, but demanded she leave Iraq immediately and warned such an initiative would not be repeated.
• The release reportedly involved a deal to free several detained Kataib Hezbollah members accused of attacks on U.S. bases, amid difficulties in negotiating due to the militia's leadership going underground.
• Kittleson, a freelance journalist with extensive experience in the Middle East, had been warned by U.S. officials about threats but chose to remain in Iraq prior to her abduction.
• Kataib Hezbollah has a history of kidnapping foreigners and launching attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq, and has previously been linked to the disappearance of Princeton graduate student Elizabeth Tsurkov in 2023.