Separatist rebels in Indonesia’s Papua region have claimed responsibility for killing an American pilot and setting his aircraft on fire after it landed in Highland Papua province.
The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) identified the pilot as Nicholas F Gosselin, alleging that he was shot after landing on Thursday.
The group claimed civilian aircraft had been used to transport Indonesian military personnel into the region and said the attack was intended to send a message.
Authorities investigating incident
Indonesian authorities confirmed that the aircraft had been found burned at an airport in the Yahukimo area but said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.
Officials have not confirmed the fate of Gosselin or the seven passengers who were reportedly on board.
Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said no security concerns were reported as the flight approached its destination, but communication with the aircraft was lost shortly after it landed.
The agency said initial information from the airport where the flight departed indicated that the pilot had died, while the cause of the incident remains under investigation.
A spokesperson for Indonesia’s joint police-military operations said authorities could not yet confirm whether the aircraft had been attacked by separatist rebels or determine what had happened to those on board.
The US Embassy in Jakarta and the US State Department have been approached for comment.
Rebels defend attack
In a statement, TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom said the group had prohibited flights across the disputed region, claiming civilian aircraft were being used to support Indonesian military operations.
He said the aircraft was attacked and burned because it had violated the group’s warning.
Sambom also warned that the group would target any civilian aircraft it believed was assisting Indonesian forces by transporting personnel or military supplies.
He said Indonesian authorities could recover the pilot’s body only if they did so without deploying military or police personnel to the area.
Long-running conflict
The incident is the latest in the decades-long conflict between Indonesian authorities and pro-independence groups in Papua, which began after the region was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969.
The separatist movement has claimed the conflict has resulted in civilian casualties and widespread displacement.
In 2024, the same group released a New Zealand pilot after holding him captive for 19 months following negotiations involving Indonesian and New Zealand officials.
A month earlier, another New Zealand helicopter pilot, Glen Malcolm Conning, was shot dead shortly after landing in a remote village.
