WASHINGTON, April 8. /TASS/. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the release of kidnapped US journalist Shelly Kittleson in Iraq.

"I am pleased to announce the release of American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was recently kidnapped by members of the <…> Kata’ib Hizballah near Baghdad, Iraq," he wrote on the X social network.

He added that the Department of State is "working to support her safe departure from Iraq."

Earlier, Kata’ib Hizballah announced that Kittleson was released.

The journalist, who holds US citizenship, was abducted on March 31 in the center of Baghdad near the hotel where she was staying. Kittleson worked in Baghdad for a long time, covering mainly Iraqi armed groups, US-Iraqi relations, and regional security developments. Later, the US Department of State confirmed reports that the journalist had been abducted.