Indonesia restores Papua air link after fatal plane attack
Members of an Indonesian military task force, joined by residents, religious leaders and traditional community leaders from Balinggama Village, removed the wreckage of the Pilatus aircraft, registration PK-RCY, operated by PT Associated Mission Aviation (AMA).
The aircraft was set on fire during an attack claimed by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), on July 2, 2026. American pilot Nicholas F. Goselin, 29, was killed.
Lieutenant General Lucky Avianto, commander of Indonesia’s Joint Regional Defense Command III, visited the cleanup site and said the aircraft wreckage and Goselin’s death underscored the brutality of the separatist attack.
“The wreckage stands as silent evidence of the attack and a reminder of the violence committed by OPM,” Avianto said in a statement released on Saturday.
“OPM is a common enemy not only of Indonesia, but also of people of all faiths and the international community,” he added.
During the inspection, Avianto was accompanied by Air Marshal Joko Sugeng Sriyanto, deputy commander of Joint Regional Defense Command III, and other senior officers.
He said the cleanup was carried out swiftly to reopen the airstrip, the only transportation route connecting Balinggama Subdistrict with surrounding areas, allowing humanitarian, church and commercial activities to resume.
The commander said restoring air access was essential for the delivery of supplies, social services and economic activity in the isolated highlands community.
He condemned the attack, saying it violated humanitarian principles and targeted civilians providing essential services to remote communities.
Avianto said Goselin had dedicated his work to supporting Christian communities in Balinggama and described the killing as an attack on humanitarian and religious service.
The cleanup was completed after Indonesian security forces secured the area surrounding the airstrip, enabling evacuation teams to operate safely.
Avianto said military personnel would remain deployed at the airstrip to maintain security and ensure pioneer flights could safely resume operations for local residents.
The military recovered Goselin’s body on July 3, one day after the attack, following what authorities described as a surprise assault by armed separatists on the aircraft after it landed.
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Translator: Laily R, Rahmad Nasution