Indonesian Forces Recover Body of American Pilot Killed by Papua Separatists

Indonesian security forces recovered the body of American pilot Nicholas P. Goslin on Friday after he was shot dead by armed separatists in Papua's mountainous region. The incident occurred on Thursday when Goslin, flying for Indonesian airline PT AMA, landed his plane at the remote Ifdeihaik airstrip in the Baligama village. Moments after landing, militants from the West Papua Liberation Army attacked the aircraft with rifles and axes, killing Goslin and setting the plane on fire.

Seven other passengers on board, all indigenous Papuan civilians including three women, were unharmed and released by the attackers. The separatists then raised the "Morning Star" flag, symbolizing Papuan independence, and released a video claiming responsibility for the killing. Rebel spokesman Sabi Sambom accused the plane of violating a no-fly zone and alleged that civilian flights were used to transport military supplies, a claim strongly denied by the Indonesian military.

On Friday, a special task force of ten operatives secured the isolated airstrip and retrieved Goslin's remains, which are now being transferred to the U.S. embassy. This attack adds to a series of violent incidents targeting foreign pilots amid the decades-long conflict in Papua, a region transferred to Indonesian control in 1969 under a controversial UN vote. The separatists warned they will continue to target civilian aircraft they believe support military operations in the area.