Iraqi armed group releases abducted US journalist Shelly Kittleson

The armed group Kataib Hezbollah said that it would free Kittleson on the condition that she leave Iraq immediately.The Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah has announced that it will release Shelly Kittleson, a journalist from the United States whose recent abduction in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad prompted calls for her release from press freedom groups.The Iran-backed group said on Tuesday that Kittleson would be freed on the condition that she leave Iraq immediately. An anonymous Iraqi official confirmed her release to The Associated Press on Tuesday afternoon.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Foreign journalist kidnapped in Iraq: Interior Ministrylist 2 of 3Trump says US armed Iranian dissidents via Kurds weeks before launching warlist 3 of 3‘Loyalty campaign’: Iraqi armed groups in Iran as US talks of ground warend of listThe 49-year-old freelance reporter was first abducted on March 31, and media reports indicate she had been kept in detention in Baghdad.Kataib Hezbollah added that its decision came in response to “the national stances of the outgoing prime minister” of Iraq, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, without offering additional details.Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a security official with the group, warned that the “exceptional gesture” would not be repeated again.The Associated Press reported that Kittleson was released in exchange for several imprisoned Kataib Hezbollah members, citing anonymous members of the militia.During her detention, publications Kittleson had worked for, including Al-Monitor, praised her for her commitment to covering conflicts in the Middle East, often on a sparse budget.“We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work,” Al-Monitor wrote in a statement upon her capture.The Committee to Protect Journalists, a press freedom group, also called her kidnapping an “alarming breach of journalists’ safety” and called on authorities to secure her release.