Owen Holdaway

Owen Holdaway is a seasoned freelance journalist with over 15 years of experience in the field, currently based in the Middle East. His work has been featured across a range of prominent media outlets including the BBC, Al Jazeera, ABC Australia, Fairfax Media, Network Ten, CBS, The Sun, The Daily Mail, and France24, among others. With a focus on conflict zones, Owen has dedicated the past five years to reporting on the battle against the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, including the intense nine-month campaign to liberate Mosul and the fall of ISIS's de facto capital, Raqqa.

As a war reporter for The Sun, Owen has become known for his in-depth coverage of the ISIS conflict in Iraq. His reporting has not only shed light on military operations but also on the human stories emerging from the conflict, such as the formation of the all-female Yazidi battalion 'Sun Girls', who took a stand against ISIS atrocities. He has also brought international attention to the tragic consequences of terrorism, exemplified by his coverage of the ISIS suicide bombing in a Baghdad shopping center that claimed over 250 lives.

Currently stationed in Beirut, Lebanon, Owen is equipped with his own video and audio capturing gear, as well as the editing skills and software necessary to produce high-quality reports from the field. His commitment to journalism is evident in his survival of a sniper attack in Mosul, where a colleague was shot but miraculously saved by a GoPro camera. Examples of Owen's impactful work, which continues to highlight the resilience of communities amidst war and terror, can be found on his personal website.