Papuan Rebels Claim Responsibility for US Pilot's Death, Plane Burning

The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) has claimed responsibility for the death of American pilot Nicholas F Gosselin and the destruction of his aircraft in the Highland Papua province.

According to a statement from the TPNPB, Gosselin’s plane was shot down and subsequently burned after landing on Thursday. The separatist group stated that civilian pilots have been ferrying Indonesian troops into the region, and Gosselin’s death was intended as a warning.

Indonesian officials confirmed that a plane with an American pilot and seven passengers was found burned at an airport in the Yahukimo region. While communication with the aircraft was lost shortly after landing, the country’s civil aviation authority initially reported no security concerns during its approach.

TPNPB spokesman Sebby Sambom declared that the group had previously banned all flights over the disputed territory due to their alleged use by the Indonesian military. “We immediately fired upon and burned the plane because it had violated the TPNPB ultimatum,” Sambom said, adding that they are prepared to target any civilian aircraft assisting Indonesian military forces.

Sambom also stated that if Indonesian authorities wished to retrieve the pilot’s body, they should do so without involving military or police presence in the area. He urged the Indonesian government to engage in negotiations to resolve the long-standing conflict over Papua’s independence.

The conflict in Papua, which began in 1969, involves indigenous people seeking independence from Indonesia and has been marked by rebel activity and alleged human rights abuses.

This incident follows previous similar events, including the capture and later release of a New Zealand pilot by the same group in 2024, and the killing of another New Zealand helicopter pilot in the region a month prior.

Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/353394/papuan-rebels-say-they-shot-dead-us-pilot-and-burned-his-plane