Published On 7/2/2026
A rebel group in the easternmost province of Papua, Indonesia, announced on Thursday that an American pilot was killed following an attack that targeted a small plane as it was landing on a remote runway, while the Indonesian authorities said they were investigating the incident and had not yet confirmed its circumstances.
West Papua National Liberation Army spokesman Sibi Sambom said that the group’s fighters killed the American pilot, whom he identified as Nicholas F. Gosselin, after he “violated the ban” imposed by the group on civilian flights in the area it considers a theater of its operations.
He added that the plane came under fire while landing in Yahokimo Province, which led to the death of the pilot, noting that the passengers, all of whom were Papuan residents, were unharmed.
On the other hand, the “Cartin’ Peace” force charged with combating the insurgency in Papua, consisting of the army and police, announced that it was able to confirm that the plane belonging to the “BT Associated Mission Aviation” company had burned, but explained that the fate of the pilot and the other seven passengers is still unknown.
Force spokesman, Yusuf Sotigo, said that the authorities will send a team to the site of the accident to open an investigation and find out the details of what happened.
For its part, the Indonesian Ministry of Transport, citing a report from the local airport authority, stated that preliminary information indicates that the pilot was killed, but it confirmed that the causes of death have not yet been determined, and that investigations are still ongoing.
Papua has been witnessing a separatist rebellion for decades, while the Indonesian government maintains a heavy military presence in the region to confront armed groups.
Papua is located in the western part of the island of New Guinea, and was a former Dutch colony that declared its independence in 1961, before Indonesia imposed its control over it in 1963.
In 1969, a referendum was held that ended with the region joining Indonesia. However, the movements demanding independence question the legitimacy of that vote and demand a new referendum, which Jakarta rejects, relying on the United Nations’ recognition of its sovereignty over the region.
