Rebels in Indonesia's restive easternmost region of Papua on Thursday shot dead an American pilot and set a civilian plane on fire in what a spokesperson for a local separatist group described as a "message" to the U.S. 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 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."
Yusuf Sutejo, spokesperson for Indonesia's joint police-military operations in Papua, confirmed that a plane with an American pilot carrying seven passengers was found burned at a local airport in Yahukimo, but he could not confirm whether it had been attacked by rebels, or whether the pilot was killed. All the passengers were Papuans, he said.
The attack in the Balinggama district of Yahukimo was a message to the Indonesian and U.S. government 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.
Sebby said rebels would start conducting attacks if Indonesia keeps allowing civilian aircraft to enter rebel-controlled red zones of Papua.
Rebels carried guns and axes and raised the "Morning Star" flag, a symbol of independence, while announcing the attack, according to a video sent by TPNPB.
The U.S. embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Indonesia's transportation ministry said on Thursday that the plane carried one pilot and seven passengers and had flown to Yahukimo from Wamena, another city in Highland Papua.
It said communications ceased after the plane landed.
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 immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a high-profile case, Papuan rebels kidnapped New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens after he landed a small commercial plane in the remote, mountainous area of Nduga in Highland Papua before freeing him in 2024.
