In a “Do Not Travel” warning for Iraq, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad stated that Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran had “conducted multiple drone attacks in the vicinity of the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center and Baghdad International Airport.” The warning was issued April 8. Additionally, the U.S. State Department called the incident an “ambush” targeting U.S. diplomats. To date, no group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM), Telegram channels affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq have stated that one of the targets in the attack was the American journalist recently released by the Iran-backed Iraqi Hizbullah Brigades militia, which had kidnapped her on March 31. The channels also said that the Iraqi resistance had used the journalist as “bait for American officers” and that there had also been an attempt to kidnap U.S. nationals in western Iraq, but that the attempt was foiled.
On April 10, 2026, the Al-Qaed Al-Maydani Telegram channel, which is affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq, wrote that a convoy of American diplomats and FBI operatives had been ambushed while transferring Ms. Kittleson to the Victory Base Complex near Baghdad International Airport.
According to the channel, the convoy was attacked with three drones, forcing it to retreat to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
The channel added, citing “media reports,” that another attack had been attempted against a convoy comprising “an American delegation to NATO, and members of the counterterrorism organ” in the Al-Rutbah region in Iraq’s Al-Anbar governorate, but that this attack had been thwarted.
The same day, the Iraqi Hizbullah Brigades-affiliated “Abu Al-Ashtar” Telegram channel wrote in a post that the Al-Rutbah ambush had been aimed at kidnapping American diplomats who were en route to Jordan, and that the would-be kidnappers had been disguised as Iraqi police officers. It added that the attempt was likely foiled by the military forces that accompanied the convoy.
On April 11, the Al-Amid Telegram channel, which says that is affiliated with the Iran-backed resistance axis, wrote the attack near Baghdad had involved drones and armed fighters who engaged in “close quarters” combat with the “terrorist” FBI operatives, dozens of whom it said had been wounded in the attack. It added that the convoy had retreated to the embassy compound and that “the spy” Kittleson had been later evacuated by helicopter to the Victory Base Complex.
The channel also wrote that the Iraqi resistance had used Kittleson as “bait for American officers,” and that according to the information available to it, several American casualties resulted from the ambush.
