en.malanginspirasi.com – Rebel group in Indonesia’s volatile Papua region claim to have fatally shot an American pilot and set fire to the US aircraft.
The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) stated they killed the pilot, identified as Nicholas F. Gosselin, following his landing in the Highland Papua province.
According to the rebel group, the attack was meant to send “a message,” as they accuse civilian aviation companies of transporting Indonesian military personnel into the conflict zone.
While Indonesian authorities confirmed that the aircraft was discovered incinerated at an airstrip in the Yahukimo district, they noted that the fates of Gosselin and his seven passengers remain officially unverified.
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The incident marks the latest escalation in a decades-long conflict between the Indonesian government and indigenous West Papuans fighting for independence in the resource-wealthy territory.
According to Indonesia’s civil aviation authority, the flight made a routine approach with no initial security alerts, but air traffic controllers lost all communication immediately after the plane touched down.
“Initial reports, from the director of the airport where the flight took off, state that the pilot has died,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in an official statement, as quoted from BBC.
He also added that the exact cause of the incident is still awaiting formal verification.
Yusuf Sutejo, a spokesperson for the country’s joint police and military operations, emphasized that authorities have not yet confirmed if the aircraft was targeted by rebels or what has happened to the occupants.
Both the U.S. State Department and the American embassy in Jakarta have been approached for comment.
Warnings and Ultimatums
TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom asserted that the rebel faction had previously declared a total flight ban over the contested territory due to commercial planes allegedly aiding Indonesian military operations.
Sambom stated the aircraft was fired upon and destroyed for violating their ultimatum.
He warned that any civilian plane suspected of transporting troops or military supplies anywhere in Papua would face similar retaliation.
The group stipulated that Indonesian officials can only recover the pilot’s remains if they do so without a military or police escort.
Furthermore, Sambom urged Jakarta to enter peace talks to address the conflict, which has caused widespread civilian displacement and casualties since Papua was integrated into Indonesia in 1969.
