Live Roundups Editor's Desk Insights Executive Ops Weather About 🔍
Home › Politics › Papua separatists kill American pilot in ‘message’ to US...
Politics

Papua separatists kill American pilot in ‘message’ to US and Indonesia

The Guardian World Thursday 02 July 2026, 12:18 UTC By Reuters in Jakarta 1 min read
Key Points

Rebels shoot pilot and set his civilian ⁠plane on fire amid long-running low-level battle for independence in regionSeparatist rebels in Indonesia’s restive easternmost region of Papua have shot dead an American pilot and set a civilian ⁠plane on fire, in what a spokesperson for a local militant group described as a “message” to the US and Indonesian governments. Sebby Sambom, ⁠a spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), named the pilot as Nicholas F Gosselin and said...

Rebels shoot pilot and set his civilian ⁠plane on fire amid long-running low-level battle for independence in region

Separatist rebels in Indonesia’s restive easternmost region of Papua have shot dead an American pilot and set a civilian ⁠plane on fire, in what a spokesperson for a local militant group described as a “message” to the US and Indonesian governments.

Sebby Sambom, ⁠a spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), named the pilot as Nicholas F Gosselin and said separatist fighters set his ⁠plane on fire after it landed in the Yahukimo region of Highland Papua province.

Continue reading...
Papua (LOCATION) American (ORG) US (LOCATION) Indonesia Rebels (LOCATION) Indonesia (LOCATION) Indonesian (ORG) Sebby Sambom (PERSON) the West Papua National Liberation Army (ORG) Nicholas F Gosselin (PERSON) Yahukimo (LOCATION) Highland Papua (LOCATION)
Originally published by The Guardian World Read original →

Related Stories

Keir Starmer issues state apology for decades of forced adoptions practices in UK

Previously, the then-Conservative government declined to apologise, arguing that the state had not supported these practices. Starmer has now acknowledged the government's role in forced adoptions. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologised for the state's role in decades of forced adoption of babies of tens of thousands of unwed mothers, calling it a "stain" on the country's history.

Euronews 12m ago

MPs seek to end UK broadcast of Russian ‘soft power’ cartoon Masha and the Bear

Cross-party group writes to ministers of concerns children’s show contains unsubtle ‘propaganda content’UK politics live – latest updatesEurope live – latest updatesA cartoon for preschoolers depicting the adventures of a small girl and a retired circus bear may seem an unlikely source of parliamentary concern. Yet a cross-party group of MPs has written to ministers urging them to examine whether they can stop Masha and the Bear from being broadcast in the UK, alleging it amounts to a cuddly...

The Guardian Culture 13m ago

Adani Flagship Seeks $1 Billion Via Share Placement, Terms Show

Adani Flagship Seeks $1 Billion Via Share Placement, Terms Show Adani Enterprises Ltd. is seeking to raise as much as 100 billion rupees ($1 billion) through a sale of shares to institutional investors as the ports-to-power conglomerate led by billionaire Gautam Adani overcomes legal challenges in the US. The firm opened the qualified institutional placement on Thursday and aims to offer as much as 34.7 million shares to large investors. The shares will be offered at an indicative price of...

Bloomberg Markets 22m ago

What is the SSPX? Everything we know as Vatican excommunicates priests in bitter row

Everything we know as Vatican excommunicates priests in bitter row The Vatican said priests and lay Catholics who are part of the society were in schism with the wider Church - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments The Vatican declared on Thursday that priests and lay Catholics of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) were in schism with the wider Church and excommunicated. It comes after the group’s ordination of four bishops without Pope Leo's approval. Here’s everything we know about the group.

The Independent World 25m ago