American Journalist Kittleson Kidnapped In Iraq

  

In the middle of the night loud explosions were heard in Sulaymaniya City but no other details were provided about what happened.

 

When the day came the leading story was the kidnapping of American journalist Shelly Kittleson in Baghdad. One person involved was arrested and said to be affiliated with the security services. The last word was that she was sent to Babil province. That might point to Kataib Hezbollah as being responsible since it has a large base in the center of the province at Jurf al-Sakhr.

 

Kittleson has worked in Iraq for years reporting for a number of different outlets. Americans are obviously a target in Iraq after Trump started the war with Iran and the U.S. Embassy had been warning nationals to leave for their safety. Kittleson probably felt secure having been in the country for so long.

 

The Baghdad Airport remains under constant attack. A drone hit the military side of the airport, followed by one targeting the diplomatic support center. Then at night a drone crashed around the center and another was shot down in Abu Ghraib to the west which was heading towards the airport. The facility is used by the United States and the pro-Iran Resistance also wants to send a message that the government is powerless to stop them even in the capital.

 

The Resistance also sent a drone towards the West Qurna 1 oil field in Basra which crashed. A missile hit a house in Thar Thar, Anbar. 3 children were wounded when a drone was shot down near Irbil airport and its debris hit a residential area. Air defenses also took care of a drone over Balad Air Base in Salahaddin. The factions want to threaten Iraq’s oil industry to put pressure upon Trump to end the war while also sending a message to the Iraqi Security Forces that they should stay out of the war.

 

The pro-Tehran groups were also suspected of sending three drones against a U.S. base in Qasrak in Hasakah province in Syria. A source said they came from Iraq. This is the third time an assault upon a neighboring country by the Resistance has been noted.

 

Al Mada reported that the Syrian Army has complained about a number of drones hitting military bases along the Iraqi border. The Resistance is the likely culprit.

 

The U.S. and Israel hit Kataib Hezbollah’s 45^th Hashd Brigade once again in Jurf al-Sakhr. Kataib al-Tayar al-Risali’s 31^st Hashd Brigade was struck in Garma, Anbar which led to the death of one fighter and the wounding of four others. Finally, the Shabak 30^th Hashd Brigade was hit by two airstrikes in Ninewa.

 

The Babil police found a drone before it was launched. This is part of the government’s effort to show that it is trying to stop the Resistance during the conflict but the effort has been completely ineffective.

 

Last, Iraq started trucking oil to Syria to be exported through the Mediterranean Sea. More than 100 tankers reportedly crossed the border. The Oil Ministry also wants to increase its exports through Turkey from 170,000 barrels a day to 200,000. 40,000 of that would come from Kurdish fields. Iraq is the most oil dependent country in the world and is desperate to get some sort of foreign sales going again after its major export route through the Strait of Hormuz was closed. The Turkish and Syrian numbers are nowhere near what Iraq was selling before and will only help the government a little bit to meet its bills.

 

SOURCES

 

Agence France Presse, “Strike kills two fighters in western Iraq,” 3/31/26

 

Al Arabiya, “Shelly Kittleson identified as American journalist kidnapped in Iraq,” 3/31/26

 

Kurdistan 24, “Drone Crashes in West Qurna 1 Oil Field, Missile Hits House in Anbar, No Casualties,” 3/31/26

-“PMF Reports Airstrikes on Its Bases in Babylon and Anbar Provinces,” 3/31/26

 

Al Mada, “Once Again: Syrian Army Announces Downing of Drones Launched from Iraq,” 3/31/26

 

NINA, “Babil police announce the bombing of a drone prepared for launch in Al-Mahawil,” 3/31/26

- “The Popular Mobilization Forces reported that one of their brigades in Nineveh was subjected to Zionist-American attacks,” 3/31/26

 

Rudaw, “Drone attack leaves three children injured in Kurdistan Region,” 3/31/26

- “Iraq begins oil exports via newly-opened Syrian border crossing," 3/31/26

 

Shafaq News, “Air defenses intercept a drone targeting a military base in Salah al-Din,” 3/31/26

- “Air defenses intercept drone west of Baghdad,” 3/31/26

- “Another drone crashes near the logistics support headquarters at Baghdad Airport,” 3/31/26

- “Developments in the kidnapping of the American journalist: She was transferred to Babylon “injured” and the detainee is “affiliated,”” 3/31/26

- “Loud explosions heard in Sulaymaniyah,” 3/30/26

- “A new drone attack from Iraq targets a US base in Syria,” 3/31/26

 

Al Sumaria, “Again, a march targets the military side of Baghdad Airport,” 3/31/26

- "A march targeting the “Diplomatic Support” headquarters near Baghdad Airport,” 3/31/26