Wellington/Jakarta, Aug 6 (IANS) A helicopter pilot from New Zealand has been killed in Indonesia’s eastern region of Papua.
The helicopter landed in an isolated area, and the pilot was killed immediately after separatist rebels rounded up those on board, with the four passengers aboard the aircraft staying safe, a report of Radio New Zealand (RNZ) said on Monday quoting a statement of local police.
RNZ said the incident came nearly 18 months after the abduction by rebels of another pilot from New Zealand, who remains in captivity as reported by Xinhua news agency.
The rebel West Papua National Liberation Army said it could not immediately confirm Monday’s killing of the pilot, the report said.
Indonesian authorities said on Monday that a criminal group in Papua killed the New Zealand pilot and that the incident occurred in the Alama district of Indonesia’s Central Papua province.
“The helicopter was carrying four passengers, including two adults who were health workers, a baby, and a child,” Head of Operation Cartenz Peace task force, Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani, said in a statement.
