Indonesian military says recovers body of American pilot killed by rebels in Papua

JAKARTA: Indonesia's military has recovered the body of an American pilot who was shot dead by rebels in the restive eastern region of Papua, it said on Friday (Jul 3) after a separatist group said the attack was a "message" to the US and Indonesian governments.

A low-level battle for independence from Indonesia has long raged in the resource-rich western half of Papua, where attacks by independence fighters have grown deadlier and more frequent as they have procured better weaponry.

Sebby Sambom, a spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), an armed separatist group, said on Thursday that their troops shot dead American pilot Nicholas F Gosselin and set his plane on fire after it landed in the Yahukimo region of Highland Papua province.

He said the aircraft had been "frequently dropping Indonesian military personnel and violating the TPNPB's ultimatum", and that there would be more attacks if Indonesia kept allowing civilian aircraft to enter rebel-controlled red zones of Papua.

The attack was a message to the Indonesian and US governments for "failing to address the root causes of the conflict in Papua between the Indonesian military and the West Papua National Liberation Army", Sebby said.

On Friday, Wirya Artadiguna, a military spokesperson in Papua, confirmed the separatist group had carried out the attack and said the body of the American pilot had been recovered and evacuated.

The military is seeking the perpetrators, he said, as well as looking for the passengers from the flight.

Officials had earlier said there were seven passengers on board, all of whom were Papuans.

The US embassy in Jakarta did not respond to a request for comment.

A video supplied by the TPNPB showed rebels armed with guns and axes and raising the "Morning Star" flag, a symbol of independence, while announcing the attack.

The aircraft is owned by airline operator PT AMA, whose planes carry food, fuel and mail to remote villages in Papua, according to its website. PT AMA did not respond to a request for comment.

In a high-profile case, Papuan rebels kidnapped New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens in February 2023 after he landed a small commercial plane in the remote, mountainous area of Nduga in Highland Papua, before freeing him in September 2024.