jakartaReuters —
Indonesia’s military said Friday it had recovered the body of an American pilot shot dead by rebels in a restive region of eastern Papua. The separatist group said the attack was a “message” to the US and Indonesian governments.
Low-level fighting for independence from Indonesia has raged in Papua’s resource-rich western half for years, with attacks by independence fighters becoming more dangerous and frequent as they acquire better weapons.
Sebi Sangbom, a spokesman for the armed separatist group West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), said on Thursday that his forces shot dead American pilot Nicholas F. Gosselin and set the plane on fire after it landed in the Yahkimo region of Highland Papua province.
He said the planes “frequently drop Indonesian military personnel, violating the TPNPB’s ultimatum” and said further attacks would occur if Indonesia continued to allow civilian aircraft into rebel-held red zones in Papua.
The attack was a message to the Indonesian and U.S. governments that they have “failed to address the root causes of the Papua conflict between the Indonesian military and the West Papua National Liberation Army,” Sebi said.
On Friday, Papuan military spokesperson Wiliya Altadigna confirmed that a separatist group carried out the attack and said the American pilot’s body had been recovered and evacuated.
He said the military was searching for the perpetrators, adding that all passengers on the flight returned home safely.
Authorities previously said there were seven passengers on board, all Papuan nationals.
The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta did not respond to a request for comment.
A video provided by the TPNPB showed rebels armed with guns and axes, holding the Morning Star flag, a symbol of independence, and threatening an attack.
The aircraft is owned by airline PT AMA, whose planes transport food, fuel and mail to remote villages in Papua, according to the company’s website. PT AMA did not respond to requests for comment. In a high-profile incident, Papuan rebels kidnapped New Zealand pilot Philippe Mertens in February 2023 after landing a small passenger plane in a remote mountainous area of Nduga on the Papuan plateau, and later released him in September 2024.
