The troubled eastern region of Papua, Indonesia, has seen an incident where rebels shot dead an American pilot and set fire to a civilian aircraft. A spokesman for a local separatist organization said the act was to "send a signal" to the U.S. and Indonesian governments.
West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) spokesman Sambom stated that on the 2nd, their personnel shot and killed American pilot Nicholas Gosling in Yahukimo, Highland Papua Province, and set the plane on fire. He said the aircraft "frequently dropped Indonesian military personnel, violating the Liberation Army's final ultimatum."
An Indonesian military spokesperson stated that on the 3rd, the authorities deployed three helicopters to transport back the body of the American pilot.
Sutoyo, spokesman for the Indonesian military-police joint operations in Papua, confirmed on the 2nd that a burned aircraft was found at the airport in Yahukimo. The aircraft was carrying one American pilot and seven passengers at the time.
The website of Indonesian airline PT AMA shows that the aircraft belonged to the company, which mainly provides delivery of food, fuel, and mail to remote villages in Papua.
In the western region of Papua, the struggle for independence from Indonesia has been ongoing. With independence fighters acquiring more advanced weapons, their attacks have become more frequent and deadly.
One of the most prominent incidents was on February 7, 2023, when New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens was kidnapped by armed men in the Nduga area. He was detained for more than 18 months before finally being released in September 2024.