Selection of Field Dispatches & Investigative Reporting
Owen
Holdaway
59 dispatches
Media Line
April 4, 2023
Escaping Tunisia: Refugees Fleeing North Africa to Southern Europe
A story on refugees fleeing Tunisia and neighbouring Libya via boats to Southern Italy.
From the Original ReportThe Media Line traced the growing use of Tunisia as a launch point for migrants making the short, dangerous crossing to Lampedusa and mainland Italy.
The Sun
November 3, 2020
Race Against Time to Reach Child Buried in Beirut Blast Rubble for a Month
Rescuers detect a heartbeat beneath the wreckage of the Beirut explosion one month after the blast.
From the Original ReportThe Sun’s report centred on the extraordinary rescue effort a month after the blast, after search teams detected signs of a possible survivor still trapped in the ruins.
The Sun
November 3, 2020
First Person: Covering the Beirut Explosion
A first-person account of reporting from the scene of the catastrophic Beirut port explosion.
From the Original ReportPublished as a first-person dispatch, the piece described the chaos and casualties Owen encountered in the hours immediately after the Beirut port explosion.
Media Line
November 30, 2018
Syria’s Bid to Populate a War-Ravaged Country
The sectarian issues and demographic challenges facing Syria in the aftermath of its devastating civil war.
From the Original ReportThe Media Line examined claims that the Syrian government was encouraging resettlement in areas emptied by the war, and why analysts considered the scheme unrealistic.
The Sun
November 30, 2018
Inside the House-by-House Hunt for ISIS Chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
On the ground in eastern Syria during the hunt for the leader of ISIS in the town of Hajin.
From the Original ReportThe Sun reported from the front line of the hunt for ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, then believed to be sheltering in the besieged town of Hajin.
The Sun
November 30, 2018
How ISIS’s Most Extreme Fighters Are Dying in Their Last Major Pocket
Inside Hajin — ISIS’s last major urban stronghold in Syria — as the terror group fights to the death.
From the Original ReportThe Sun’s report detailed the SDF’s final push against ISIS fighters holding out in Hajin, the group’s last significant pocket of territory in Syria.
Media Line
October 4, 2018
ISIS’s Last Urban Stronghold in Syria
Reporting from Hajin — the last major urban centre still under ISIS control in Syria, near the Israeli border region.
From the Original ReportThe Media Line covered the campaign to clear ISIS from the last urban areas it held along Syria’s southern border region.
The Sun
October 4, 2018
ISIS Sleeper Cells Still Operating in Syria After the Fall of Raqqa
Even after losing their de facto capital to US-backed coalition forces, ISIS cells continue to launch attacks under cover of darkness.
From the Original ReportThe Sun reported that despite losing Raqqa, ISIS sleeper cells were still hiding by day and staging night-time attacks in nearby Syrian towns.
The Sun
October 4, 2018
Inside the Hunt for Jihadi John’s Victims at the Mass Graves of Raqqa
Investigating burial sites in Syria believed to hold the victims of notorious ISIS executioner Jihadi John.
From the Original ReportThe Sun’s report followed the search of burial sites around Raqqa believed to hold the remains of hostages beheaded by the ISIS executioner known as Jihadi John.
The Sun
October 4, 2018
Visiting the Spot Where Jihadi John Was Killed by a US Drone Strike
A tour of the exact location in Raqqa where British ISIS figurehead Jihadi John was killed.
From the Original ReportThe Sun retraced the final movements of Mohammed Emwazi, locating the Raqqa internet cafe where the US drone strike that killed him took place.
The Sun
October 4, 2018
Captured Western ISIS Members Beg to Return Home to European Jails
Western extremists who turned their backs on Europe are now trying to be transferred back to jails in their home countries.
From the Original ReportThe Sun found captured Western ISIS members held in Syrian jails pleading to be extradited and imprisoned in their home countries instead.
The Sun
April 14, 2018
Surviving ISIS in Fallujah: A Father Who Lost Everything to a Car Bomb
The story of an Iraqi father whose wife and children were killed by an ISIS car bomb as they tried to flee Fallujah.
From the Original ReportThe Sun told the story of an Iraqi father whose wife and children were killed by an ISIS car bomb as the family tried to escape Fallujah.
The Sun
April 14, 2018
Inside the Luxury Hotel ISIS Turned Into a Hellhole Jail in Syria
Reporting from a former luxury hotel in Manbij, Northern Syria, repurposed by ISIS as a prison and torture facility.
From the Original ReportThe Sun documented how ISIS converted a former luxury hotel in Manbij into a detention and torture facility, drawing on accounts from people held there.
The Sun
April 14, 2018
Inside the ISIS Torture Camp Beneath Raqqa’s Football Stadium
The Raqqa football stadium that ISIS used as their headquarters and as an underground torture prison.
From the Original ReportThe Sun’s report detailed how ISIS turned Raqqa’s football stadium into both a military headquarters and an underground prison for its opponents.
The Sun
April 14, 2018
Londoner Pays Tribute to the First British Woman Killed Fighting in Syria
An interview with a fellow fighter paying tribute to Anna Campbell, the first British woman to die fighting against ISIS in Syria.
From the Original ReportThe Sun spoke to a fellow fighter paying tribute to Anna Campbell, a British volunteer killed fighting ISIS alongside Kurdish-led forces in Syria.
The Sun
April 14, 2018
Al-Naim Square: The Heart of ISIS’s Public Executions in Raqqa
Reporting from Al-Naim Square in central Raqqa — the site where ISIS beheaded enemies and displayed severed heads on spikes.
From the Original ReportThe Sun reported from Al-Naim Square, the central Raqqa plaza where ISIS staged public executions and displayed the remains of its victims.
The Sun
April 14, 2018
Wife of Foreign Jihadi Warns: The ISIS Threat to Britain is More Severe Than Ever
An interview with the wife of a foreign ISIS fighter in Ayn Issa, Syria, warning that the threat to Britain intensifies as Middle East strongholds crumble.
From the Original ReportThe Sun interviewed the wife of a foreign ISIS fighter in Ayn Issa, who claimed the group’s threat to Britain was growing even as its territory shrank.
Media Line
April 14, 2018
On the Ground in Raqqa, Capital of ISIS’s Caliphate
Dispatches from inside Raqqa as the so-called Islamic State loses its Syrian capital.
From the Original ReportThis dispatch, also carried by the Jerusalem Post, reported from inside Raqqa in the final weeks before the city fell and the Islamic State’s self-declared capital collapsed.
The Sun
April 14, 2018
ISIS’ Terror Capital Raqqa Could Fall Within Days
Reporting from inside Raqqa — the ISIS capital — in the final days before its liberation by coalition forces.
From the Original ReportThe Sun’s report from inside Raqqa assessed how close coalition-backed forces were to capturing the city, days before its eventual liberation.
The Sun
September 9, 2017
The Upcoming Battle for Hawija: ISIS’s Last Major Stronghold in Iraq
On the front lines as Iraqi forces prepare to take on the roughly 2,000 ISIS fighters dug into Hawija.
From the Original ReportThe Sun previewed the coming assault on Hawija, ISIS’s last major stronghold in Iraq, where an estimated 2,000 fighters were reported to be dug in.
France 24
August 26, 2017
Interview: Iraqi Army Recaptures Tal-Afar’s Historic City Centre from ISIS
Live interview on France 24 English as Iraqi forces retake the centre of Tal-Afar from the so-called Islamic State.
From the Original ReportIn a live France 24 interview, Owen reported that Iraqi forces had retaken roughly 70 percent of Tal-Afar’s historic centre from the Islamic State group.
9News
August 26, 2017
Inside Al-Nuri Mosque: Where Al-Baghdadi Declared the Caliphate
Reporting from Al-Nuri Mosque immediately after Iraqi Counter Terrorism Forces recaptured the site where ISIS declared its caliphate.
From the Original Report9News covered the recapture of Mosul’s Al-Nuri Mosque, the site where Baghdadi had declared the ISIS caliphate three years earlier, left largely in ruins.
9News
August 26, 2017
ISIS Suicide Bombers Posed as Iraqi Soldiers to Target Mosul’s Freed Civilians
How ISIS fighters disguised themselves as Iraqi soldiers to infiltrate and attack civilians newly liberated from their control in West Mosul.
From the Original Report9News reported on ISIS fighters disguising themselves in captured Iraqi army uniforms to carry out attacks on civilians in newly liberated parts of Mosul.
The Sun
June 2, 2017
The Liberation of Hatra: Reclaiming an Ancient Assyrian City from ISIS
On the ground as the Popular Mobilization Forces drive ISIS out of Hatra, one of Iraq’s most historically significant ancient cities.
From the Original ReportThe Sun reported as Iraqi Popular Mobilization forces drove ISIS out of Hatra, one of the country’s most significant ancient Assyrian sites.
The Sun
June 2, 2017
The ISIS Sniper Bullet That Bounced Off an Iraqi Cameraman’s GoPro — Inches from Owen
The dramatic moment an ISIS sniper’s bullet deflected off a GoPro, filmed inches away by Owen Holdaway in West Mosul.
From the Original ReportThe Sun’s report centred on a near-miss caught on camera in West Mosul, when an ISIS sniper’s round struck a cameraman’s GoPro at close range.
The Sun
June 2, 2017
ISIS Planning a Chemical Attack Near Badush, Iraq
An Iraqi medic’s warning of a potential ISIS chemical weapons attack near Badush and the ongoing killing of civilians in Northern Iraq.
From the Original ReportThe Sun reported an Iraqi medic’s warning that ISIS was preparing chemical gas attacks near Badush, alongside continued killings of civilians in the area.
The Sun
March 30, 2017
The Children of Mosul: Killed by ISIS Car Bombs, Maimed by Sniper Fire
The devastating toll of the battle for western Mosul on the city’s youngest civilians caught in the crossfire.
From the Original ReportThe Sun documented the toll of the battle for western Mosul on children, killed by ISIS car bombs and wounded by sniper fire in the crossfire.
The Sun
March 18, 2017
A Mortar Round Lands Feet Away: Owen Under ISIS Fire in Mosul
The terrifying moment an ISIS mortar round landed just feet from Owen Holdaway during the battle to retake Mosul.
From the Original ReportThe Sun reported a close call during the Mosul offensive, when an ISIS mortar round landed just feet from Owen while he was reporting on the front line.
The Sun
March 18, 2017
Embedded with the Federal Police Inside West Mosul
Inside the battle for Mosul — embedded with Iraqi troops facing suicide bombers and snipers in the bloody fight to liberate the city.
From the Original ReportThe Sun’s dispatch followed Iraqi Federal Police units advancing through West Mosul under fire from ISIS suicide bombers and snipers.
The Sun
March 4, 2017
Inside the Khasfa Mass Grave: Iraq’s Largest ISIS Killing Site
A report from the Khasfa sinkhole between Hammam Al-Alil and West Mosul — Iraq’s largest known ISIS mass grave site.
From the Original ReportThe Sun’s report documented the Khasfa sinkhole near Mosul, described as Iraq’s largest known ISIS mass grave, believed to hold the remains of thousands.
The Sun
March 4, 2017
Under ISIS Sniper Fire in the Western Quarter of Mosul
Reporting from western Mosul just after Iraqi forces took the airport — under threat from ISIS snipers, armed drones, and poison gas car bombs.
From the Original ReportThe Sun reported from western Mosul shortly after the airport fell, describing ISIS’s defence with snipers, weaponised drones and chemical-laced car bombs.
The Sun
February 18, 2017
Tal-Afar: Blocking ISIS’s Escape as Their Mosul Stronghold Crumbles
Embedded with the Hashd Al-Shaabi fighting ISIS west of Mosul and cutting off retreating fighters near Tal-Afar.
From the Original ReportThe Sun’s report followed Hashd al-Shaabi fighters cutting off ISIS’s retreat routes near Tal-Afar as the group’s hold on Mosul began to collapse.
The Sun
January 25, 2017
Joining an Iraqi Forces Raid Deep Inside Mosul
Embedded with the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Forces on a raid inside Mosul as they push to liberate the eastern districts.
From the Original ReportThe Sun accompanied Iraqi Counter Terrorism Forces on a raid into Mosul, reporting that the threat from booby traps, drones and snipers remained even as ISIS bodies littered the streets.
CBC
December 5, 2016
Dohuk Zoo: A Story of Animals and Survival in Northern Iraq
A film piece on Dohuk Zoo in Northern Iraq for CBC, linked to Jane Goodall’s praise for an Edmonton-area man’s chimp rescue.
From the Original ReportCBC’s report on Dohuk Zoo’s animals surviving amid the refugee crisis ran alongside separate coverage of Jane Goodall praising a Canadian man’s chimpanzee rescue.
The Sun
December 5, 2016
Inside the Battle of Mosul: The First Neighbourhood Liberated from ISIS
Reporting from the Al-Karamah district — the first neighbourhood of Mosul retaken from ISIS by Iraqi special forces.
From the Original ReportThe Sun reported from Al-Karamah, the first Mosul district retaken from ISIS, describing suicide-bomb wreckage in the streets as Iraqi troops raised their flag there for the first time in two years.
The Sun
December 5, 2016
ISIS and Chemical Weapons: The Threat Facing Troops in Mosul
Reporting on ISIS’s stockpile of chemical weapons and the threat they posed to advancing troops during the Battle of Mosul.
From the Original ReportThe Sun reported concerns that ISIS had stockpiled chemical weapons to use against advancing Iraqi and coalition troops during the battle for Mosul.
The Sun
December 5, 2016
ISIS’s Christian Massacre: The Liberation of Qaraqosh
Reporting from Qaraqosh — a Christian village just outside Mosul — as it is freed from ISIS and the scale of destruction becomes clear.
From the Original ReportThe Sun’s report from the newly liberated Christian town of Qaraqosh documented the scale of destruction ISIS left behind in homes and churches.
The Sun
October 20, 2016
The Bloody Road to Mosul
On the Khazir front line east of Mosul as the battle to retake the city begins and ISIS corpses litter the streets.
From the Original ReportThe Sun’s report from the Khazir front line described the immediate aftermath of fighting as the Mosul offensive opened.
Daily Mail
July 20, 2016
“Tony Blair and George Bush Destroyed Our Country”: Life Under Saddam Revisited
Iraqis reflect on the invasion of their country and a generation of conflict — some saying life was more stable under Saddam Hussein.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail gathered Iraqi voices arguing that, despite Saddam Hussein’s brutality, the 2003 invasion and its aftermath had left the country worse off.
Daily Mail
July 20, 2016
Four Members of One Family, Including a Four-Year-Old, Among 250 Killed in ISIS Baghdad Attack
The grief of a family torn apart by the ISIS bombing of a Baghdad shopping mall, which killed 250 people in one of the deadliest attacks in the country’s history.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail told the story of one family that lost four members, including a four-year-old girl, in the ISIS bombing of a Baghdad shopping centre.
The Sun
June 6, 2016
One Hundred ISIS Fighters Killed as Kurds Carry Out Massive Operation on Mosul Stronghold
Exclusive reporting from the Khazir front line in Northern Iraq as Kurdish Peshmerga forces launch a major offensive against ISIS.
From the Original ReportThe Sun reported from the Khazir front line as Kurdish Peshmerga forces claimed to have killed around 100 ISIS fighters in a major push toward Mosul.
Daily Mail
June 6, 2016
No, It’s Me: Five-Year-Old Afghan Claims He’s the Boy in the Messi Plastic Bag Shirt
A second Afghan boy claims to be the child photographed wearing a blue-and-white plastic bag fashioned into a Lionel Messi shirt.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail followed up on the viral photo of a boy in a homemade Messi shirt, after a second Afghan boy came forward claiming to be the child pictured.
Daily Mail
October 13, 2015
Dozens of ISIS Sex Slaves Have Killed Themselves, Reveals the Woman Devoted to Rescuing Them
The woman who has risked her life to rescue Yazidi girls sold into sexual slavery by ISIS reveals the scale of the abuse and the desperate choices some women have made.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail interviewed a woman who has helped smuggle Yazidi girls out of ISIS captivity, who said dozens of enslaved women had taken their own lives rather than continue enduring the abuse.
Daily Mail
October 12, 2015
Yazidi Widow: ISIS Doctors Murdered My Husband in Hospital with a Lethal Injection
A Yazidi widow recounts how ISIS medics killed her wounded husband with a lethal injection — one of at least 30 similar cases.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail reported a Yazidi widow’s account of ISIS medics killing her wounded husband with a lethal injection, one of at least 30 cases she said followed the same pattern.
Daily Mail
October 6, 2015
Heartbroken Yazidi Grandfather: My Three Granddaughters Drowned in the Mediterranean Fleeing ISIS
A Yazidi grandfather whose three granddaughters drowned while fleeing ISIS warns other families not to risk the deadly crossing.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail spoke to a Yazidi grandfather whose three granddaughters drowned attempting the Mediterranean crossing, who urged other families not to risk smugglers’ boats.
Daily Mail
October 6, 2015
Exclusive: Yazidi Mother Reveals How Her Nine-Year-Old Clung to Her Husband’s Body After He Was Shot by an ISIS Sniper
A mother’s account of the moment ISIS executed her husband while her nine-year-old daughter watched — and her other daughter was taken as a sex slave.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail recorded a mother’s account of her husband’s execution by an ISIS sniper, witnessed by their nine-year-old daughter, and the separate abduction of another daughter.
Daily Mail
September 28, 2015
“This Is Revenge for the Yazidi Girls”: The Female Fighters Killing Ten ISIS Fighters a Day
Three female fighters on the Iraqi front line describe their motivation for fighting — and their record of killing ISIS fighters in retaliation for the abuse of Yazidi women.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail interviewed three female fighters on the Iraqi front line who described killing ISIS fighters in direct retaliation for crimes against Yazidi women.
Daily Mail
September 22, 2015
Aylan Kurdi’s Father Vows to Hunt Down the Trafficker to Prove He Wasn’t Driving the Boat
Abdullah Kurdi speaks out after claims he was piloting the boat on which his son Aylan drowned, vowing to find the real trafficker responsible.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail reported Abdullah Kurdi’s response to claims he had piloted the boat on which his son Aylan drowned, as he vowed to track down the trafficker responsible.
Daily Mail
September 16, 2015
Inside the Only SAS and Delta Force Raid on an ISIS Leader
The inside story of the joint SAS and Delta Force raid on an ISIS senior figure — shot twice in the chest as his wife pretended to be a Yazidi sex slave to evade capture.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail’s account of the raid on ISIS official Abu Sayyaf described him being shot as he reached for a weapon, while his wife falsely claimed to be a captive Yazidi slave.
Daily Mail
September 9, 2015
US Hostage Kayla Mueller’s Harrowing Final Months as Al-Baghdadi’s Captive
A Yazidi sex slave who shared captivity with US aid worker Kayla Mueller reveals the abuse Mueller endured before her death.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail reported a Yazidi former captive’s account of the abuse endured by US aid worker Kayla Mueller during her time held by ISIS leader al-Baghdadi.
Daily Mail
September 8, 2015
Boy, 14, Who Featured in ISIS Propaganda Reveals How He Was Taught to Kill at a Terror Camp
Exclusive interview with a 14-year-old who appeared in ISIS propaganda, describing how he was trained to hate and to behead at a so-called “Cubs of the Caliphate” camp.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail’s interview had the boy describe being trained in a children’s indoctrination camp, and the family’s eventual escape with the help of a smuggler.
Daily Mail
September 8, 2015
Yazidi Singer Forms All-Female Fighting Unit to Take Revenge on ISIS
“They rape us. We kill them.” A Yazidi singer who formed an all-female unit to fight ISIS in retaliation for the enslavement of Yazidi women and the murder of their men.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail profiled a Yazidi singer who formed an all-female militia, saying the unit’s fight was direct retaliation for ISIS enslaving Yazidi women and killing their male relatives.
Daily Mail
August 8, 2015
Yazidi Boy, 13, Relives His Time at an ISIS Camp Where Children Were Taught to Behead
Exclusive: A 13-year-old Yazidi boy describes being held at an ISIS jihad training camp and forced to learn how to carry out beheadings.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail’s interview had a 13-year-old Yazidi describe being held at an ISIS training camp and instructed in carrying out executions.
Daily Mail
August 8, 2015
Yazidi Boy, Four, Forced to Join an ISIS Terror Camp and Given a Sword to Behead His Own Mother
A four-year-old Yazidi boy was forced to attend an ISIS camp where children were taught Sharia law and ordered to carry out acts of violence against their own families.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail reported that a four-year-old Yazidi boy was made to attend an ISIS indoctrination camp, where children were taught religious law alongside violent tasks.
BBC
July 28, 2015
BBC Live Interview on Yazidi Sex Slaves
Owen Holdaway interviewed live on BBC Radio 5 Live with Peter Allen on the plight of Yazidi women held as sex slaves by ISIS.
From the Original ReportOwen appeared live on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss the scale of ISIS’s enslavement of Yazidi women with presenter Peter Allen.
Daily Mail
July 22, 2015
Exclusive: Yazidi Sex Slave Reveals Ordeal as British Jihadi Bride Stood By
A Yazidi sex slave recounts being raped and beaten with a pipe by a British ISIS fighter while his British wife did nothing to intervene.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail’s account had a Yazidi survivor describe being beaten by a British ISIS fighter, while his British wife looked on and did not intervene.
Daily Mail
July 16, 2015
Exclusive: How Yazidis Survived the Slaughter of 800 Men by Playing Dead in a Mass Grave
Survivors recount how ISIS gunmen checked boys’ ages by their armpit hair before executing them — and how some lived by lying still among the dead.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail’s report gathered survivor accounts of a mass execution of Yazidi men and older boys, some of whom described escaping by lying motionless among the dead.
Daily Mail
July 16, 2015
Two Yazidi Sex Slaves Relive the Cruelty They Suffered at the Hands of ISIS
Two women describe being tied to a bed, injected with morphine to keep them silent, and beaten so badly they could not walk for months.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail’s report had two Yazidi survivors describe being restrained and sedated by their captors, with one saying she could not walk for two months after a beating.
Daily Mail
July 16, 2015
Traumatic Stories of the Child Refugees Fleeing for Their Lives in Iraq
Fitha, age seven, was covered in her father’s blood after ISIS raided their home and executed him on the doorstep — one of many child refugees’ stories from Iraq.
From the Original ReportThe Daily Mail’s report gathered accounts from child refugees, including seven-year-old Fitha, who was found covered in her father’s blood after his execution by ISIS.