Officers have launched a rescue mission for the broadcaster who was kidnapped this week.
A BBC reporter has been kidnapped by armed males in Iraq (Picture: X/Twitter)
A journalist who has labored for the BBC has been kidnapped by armed thugs in Iraq. Terrifying footage from native media confirmed the second broadcaster Shelly Kittleson was dragged right into a automobile in Baghdad, sparking an intense rescue operation. The surprising second occurred on Tuesday night (March 31) when the American freelance journalist was taken within the Iraqi capital.
After the clip went viral, cops swiftly launched a restoration mission, which led to the arrest of 1 suspect and the seizure of a automobile utilized by the gunmen. Authorities reportedly chased 4 of the armed males driving away whereas Kittleson was nonetheless within the automobile. Hours later, officers discovered an overturned automobile, which they consider was flipped by the thugs attempting to flee the scene, however Kittleson was nowhere to be seen. Within the clip, a bunch of males seem to stroll in direction of a automobile earlier than it stops.
Footage of the second Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad. I’m deeply saddened and offended. https://t.co/pWi979h5LM pic.twitter.com/tdli5wBlDa
— Levent Kemal (@leventkemaI) March 31, 2026
A lady standing close by, understood to be Kittleson, seems to be kidnapped and dragged into the silver automobile. A minimum of three different males will be seen within the chilling footage who seem to enter the automobile through the abduction.
Native police reassured the general public that the search operation for the award-winning journalist continues to be ongoing following the arrest. On the time of writing this text, no group has claimed accountability for the kidnapping.
Iraqi authorities confirmed: “The Ministry of Inside broadcasts that this night, a international journalist was kidnapped by unknown people. Safety forces instantly launched an operation to apprehend the perpetrators, performing on exact intelligence and thru intensive area operations, monitoring the abductors’ actions.”
Native media reported that it’s believed that the reporter was taken close to the Baghdad Lodge on Saadoun Road. Regardless of being a US citizen, Kittleson has spent the previous few years in Italy and is presently primarily based in Rome.
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The courageous correspondent is thought for her protection of the battle and wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. A US official informed Al-Monitor that Washington is reportedly conscious of her kidnapping and is working carefully with Iraqi authorities on her restoration.
The kidnapping comes after Israeli-Russian pupil Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped by Kata’ib Hezbollah in 2023 and was launched two years later. In the meantime, the battle within the Center East exhibits no signal of slowing down, which has dragged Iraq into the battle as Iran targets US bases within the area.
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