A US pilot was killed in Indonesia‘s Papua region when unidentified assailants set his aircraft on fire, according to a report by the Jakarta Globe on Thursday.
The aircraft was burned after landing at a remote airstrip in the Papua Highlands province. The plane was reportedly carrying seven passengers in addition to the pilot. There was no mention of any harm being done to the passengers.
Indonesian authorities are investigating the incident and have not confirmed whether separatist rebels operating in the region were responsible, saying they have not yet determined the cause of the incident.
Indonesia’s Transportation Ministry said it had received an initial report from the head of the Wamena airport authority confirming that the pilot, Nicholas F. Gosselin, a US citizen, had died.
The ministry said investigators and relevant agencies are working to verify the sequence of events and establish the facts surrounding the attack.
Communication with the airstrip was lost shortly after it landed early Thursday morning.
Zet Salino, the police chief of Yahukimo regency, where the airstrip is located, said authorities had heard claims that the aircraft was set on fire by members of the Armed Criminal Group (KKB), the term Indonesian officials use to refer to separatist armed groups operating in Papua.
He said officials were unable to immediately verify the condition of the aircraft or the pilot because the remote site is accessible only by air.
According to Kompas TV, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) has claimed responsibility for the attack, including the pilot’s death.
There was no statement from the US side at the time of publication of this story.
Papua has long been plagued by a low-level separatist insurgency, with aviation services often serving as the only means of transportation for many isolated communities.
Small commercial and pioneer aircraft operating in the region have also been targeted in previous attacks.
