Hawar News Agency

Hawar News Agency, commonly abbreviated as ANHA, is a Syria-based news organization whose reporting focuses heavily on northern and northeastern Syria, Kurdish affairs, the Syrian civil war and the activities of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. The service began as an Arabic-language news outlet and later developed a broader identity associated with Kurdish and regional reporting. Its website publishes news for a digital audience and operates in an environment shaped by armed conflict, territorial division, censorship, cyberattacks and political polarization. The agency is linked in public reporting to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and to the Syrian Democratic Forces, the military force that controls or has controlled substantial parts of the region. The precise ownership structure of Hawar News Agency has not been publicly disclosed. Its website's About page identifies the organization simply as ANHA, while the opposition-oriented Verify-s has described the outlet as affiliated with the Democratic Union Party, or PYD. That characterization is an external claim rather than a transparently documented corporate ownership record. Hawar News Agency's coverage has made it an important source for events in areas where access for international media is limited. At the same time, its political and geographic associations have made it a contested source for audiences and authorities opposed to the PYD, the Autonomous Administration or the SDF. The agency's work has repeatedly been affected by restrictions and security risks. Turkish authorities blocked access to Hawar News and several other Kurdish or left-wing news websites in July 2015, describing the measure as part of counter-terrorism efforts. The restriction followed the breakdown of Turkey's Kurdish peace process. The agency has also experienced repeated cyber interference. Public accounts report that its website was hacked in 2018, 2019 and 2022. Journalists working for or with the agency have faced severe risks during the Syrian conflict. Issam Abdullah was killed during alleged Turkish airstrikes in northern Syria in 2022, while Stêrk TV journalist Mohammed Jarada was injured in the same incident. The Committee to Protect Journalists called for a prompt investigation by Turkish authorities. In December 2024, freelancers Cîhan Bilgin and Nazim Daştan were killed by a Turkish airstrike while working for ANHA. Their deaths generated condemnation from journalist unions and press-freedom organizations in Turkey and internationally. Subsequent protests and reporting about the incident led to detentions and criminal charges involving some Turkish journalists and legal figures. The Turkish Journalists Union, the National Union of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists called for accountability and an independent investigation. The case reinforced the agency's identity as a conflict-zone news organization whose staff and contributors operate under unusually dangerous conditions. Because ownership, financing and governance are not publicly documented in the available reference material, Hawar News Agency is best described as an independent-appearing news brand with reported institutional links to the governing and military structures of North and East Syria, rather than as a transparently owned commercial media company. Its principal offering remains digital news reporting, especially coverage of Kurdish and Syrian political, military, social and humanitarian affairs.

Hawar News Agency is a digital news organization based in Al-Hasakah, Syria. It is also known by the abbreviation ANHA and by the Kurdish name Ajansa Nûçeyên a Hawar. The service initially operated as an Arabic-only news outlet. Its public profile later became associated with Kurdish affairs and reporting from the territories administered by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. The agency operates in a highly politicized media environment. Public references link Hawar News to the Autonomous Administration and the Syrian Democratic Forces. The organization's ownership has not been published, and its About page reportedly identifies the service only as ANHA. Verify-s, a source associated with the Syrian opposition, has characterized the agency as affiliated with the Democratic Union Party. Because no transparent ownership or governance information is available in the reference material, these affiliations should be treated as reported relationships or assessments rather than confirmed corporate ownership. The website domain was first registered in August 2012, but the precise founding year of the news agency is not established in the available material. Its reporting has centered on Syria's conflict, Kurdish political developments, military operations, local administration and events in northern and northeastern Syria. The agency's regional position can provide access to stories in areas that are difficult for international news organizations to cover, while also exposing it to accusations of political alignment and to restrictions imposed by states and rival political actors. In July 2015, Turkey's telecommunications regulator blocked access to Hawar News Agency and a number of other Kurdish or left-wing news services, including Rudaw, the Dicle News Agency and Özgür Gündem. The blocking took place after the collapse of Turkey's Kurdish peace process and was described by Turkish authorities as a counter-terrorism action. The measure illustrated the pressure placed on Kurdish media outlets operating inside or outside Turkey. Cybersecurity has been another recurring problem. The agency's website was reportedly hacked in 2018, 2019 and 2022. These incidents occurred against the backdrop of sustained cyber and information conflict involving Syrian, Kurdish, Turkish and international actors, although the available reference material does not identify perpetrators. Hawar News Agency's staff and contributors have also faced lethal risks. In 2022, Issam Abdullah and others were allegedly targeted during Turkish airstrikes in northern Syria. Abdullah was killed, while Stêrk TV worker Mohammed Jarada was injured. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Turkish authorities to investigate the incident. The most prominent recent attack involved Cîhan Bilgin and Nazim Daştan, freelance journalists working for ANHA who were killed by a Turkish airstrike in December 2024. The Dicle Fırat Journalists' Association and the Press Workers Union of Turkey condemned the killings. Protests concerning the deaths reportedly led to detentions in Turkey, and Turkish journalists and leaders of the Istanbul Bar Association subsequently faced criminal charges related to reporting on the airstrike. The Turkish Journalists Union, the National Union of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists criticized what they described as hostile state policies toward journalists and urged an independent investigation. Colombian president Gustavo Petro also publicly condemned the killings. Today, Hawar News Agency is best understood as a conflict-focused regional digital news brand. Its significance rests on its coverage of North and East Syria and Kurdish affairs, but its political associations, restricted access, cyberattacks and journalist casualties make its operating environment unusually contentious and dangerous. Publicly available information does not establish its commercial structure, financing, executive leadership or formal parent company.

1. 2024Cîhan Bilgin and Nazim Daştan killed

   Two freelance journalists working for ANHA were killed by a Turkish airstrike in December, prompting international and union demands for an investigation.

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2. 2022Journalist killed and another injured during alleged airstrike

   Issam Abdullah was killed and Mohammed Jarada was injured in an incident involving alleged Turkish airstrikes in northern Syria.

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3. 2019Second reported website hack

   Hawar News was reportedly targeted by another website hack.

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4. 2018Reported website hack

   The agency's website was reportedly hacked during a period of continuing conflict and digital interference affecting regional media.

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5. 2015Access blocked in Turkey

   Turkey's telecommunications regulator blocked Hawar News and several other Kurdish or left-wing news websites after the collapse of the Kurdish peace process.

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6. 2012Hawar News domain registered

   The agency's website domain was first registered in August 2012, although the precise founding date of the organization is not publicly established in the available material.

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A regional digital news agency focused on Kurdish affairs, North and East Syria, and conflict reporting, with public reporting linking it to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the Syrian Democratic Forces.

• ANHA online news serviceDigital news agency

  The agency's core product is its online news service, which publishes reporting from Syria with particular attention to North and East Syria, Kurdish political affairs, military developments and the institutions associated with the Autonomous Administration.

• Arabic-language news coverageLanguage service

  Hawar News began as an Arabic-only news service. Arabic reporting remains central to its role as a regional source covering Syrian political, military and social affairs.

• Kurdish and regional reportingRegional journalism

  The agency's broader identity is associated with Kurdish affairs and reporting from areas administered by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, providing regional coverage for Kurdish and international audiences.

• 2015Turkish authorities block access to the agencyOther

  The blocking followed the end of Turkey's Kurdish peace process and affected several Kurdish or left-wing news websites.

  What changed. Turkey's telecommunications regulator restricted access to Hawar News Agency as part of a measure authorities described as counter-terrorism enforcement.

  Aftermath. The action limited access to the agency for users in Turkey and highlighted the political and regulatory pressures facing Kurdish media.

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• 2024Cîhan Bilgin and Nazim Daştan killed while working for ANHA

  Freelance journalists Cîhan Bilgin and Nazim Daştan were killed by a Turkish airstrike in December 2024 while working for Hawar News Agency. Journalist unions and press-freedom organizations condemned the incident and requested an independent investigation.

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• 2022Journalist Issam Abdullah killed during alleged Turkish airstrike

  Issam Abdullah and others working in northern Syria were allegedly targeted during Turkish airstrikes. Abdullah was killed and Stêrk TV journalist Mohammed Jarada was injured. The Committee to Protect Journalists called for a swift investigation.

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• 2022Hawar News Agency website reportedly hacked in 2022

  Reference material reports a further cyberattack against the agency's website, following earlier incidents in 2018 and 2019.

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• 2019Hawar News Agency website reportedly hacked again

  The agency was reportedly subjected to another website hack amid the wider conflict and political tensions surrounding Kurdish media organizations.

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• 2018Hawar News Agency website reportedly hacked

  Public reporting states that Hawar News Agency's website was hacked, contributing to a pattern of digital interference affecting the outlet.

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• 2015Turkey blocks access to Hawar News Agency and other Kurdish news websites

  Turkey's telecommunications regulator blocked access to Hawar News Agency along with several Kurdish-language and left-wing news services. The action followed the end of Turkey's Kurdish peace process and was presented by authorities as a counter-terrorism measure.

  RegulationOther
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1. Hawar News Agency
2. Hawar News Agency official website