PAPUA, RAKYAT NEWS— A New Zealand helicopter pilot, Glen Malcolm Conning (50), was killed in Papua, according to the Indonesian police.

It claims that pro separation the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB)—referred to by the Indonesian police as an armed criminal group—was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of New Zealand pilot Glen Malcolm Conning.

The TPNPB allegedly set fire to a helicopter owned by Intan Angkasa Air Service Inc, model IWN, MD 500 ER PK, in Alama District, Mimika Regency, Central Papua Province, at around 10:00 WIT on Monday (5/8).

“This incident occurred when the helicopter arrived in Alama District, Mimika Regency, carrying four passengers—two adults (medical personnel), one baby, and one child—from Moses Kilangin Timika Airport to Alama District,” stated Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani, head of the special operation in Papua known as Operation Peace Cartenz 2024.

TPNPB-OPM spokesperson, Sebby Sambom, stated that they could not confirm the police’s allegations regarding the kidnapping and murder of Glen Malcolm Conning.

Head of Public Relations for Operation Peace Cartenz, Commissioner Bayu Suseno, claimed that information was received from a witness identified as D.

According to witness D, he explained that the passengers and pilot were immediately confronted by the TPNPB group upon arrival in Alama District. At that moment, Glen Malcolm Conning was killed, he said.

“At approximately 09:30 WIT, the helicopter flown by Glen Malcolm Conning was intercepted by the TPNPB group, who were armed,” Bayu added. “The pilot and passengers were forced to disembark and were gathered in a field near the landing site.”

Following this, the TPNPB allegedly killed the pilot. Bayu reported that the pilot’s body was taken back to the helicopter, which was then set on fire along with the aircraft.

According to information from the scene, all passengers were unharmed.

“Alama District is isolated, with access only achievable via helicopter,” Bayu noted.

Previously, on February 7, 2023, another New Zealand pilot, Phillip Mark Mehrtens, was kidnapped by a TPNPB faction led by Egianus Kogoya. Mehrtens was captured after landing a Susi Air aircraft at the Paro District Airfield in Nduga, Highland Papua.

Since then, there have been numerous calls for TPNPB to release him, but these efforts have yet to yield results.

TPNPB-OPM spokesperson Sebby Sambom stated that they could not confirm the police’s allegations regarding the kidnapping and murder of Glen Malcolm Conning.

“We have not received confirmation from the field; please be patient,” he told BBC News Indonesia. “If the allegations are true, the pilot was a spy for the TNI/Police, as we have long claimed that this area is a war zone,” Sebby said

Sebby emphasized that any civilian flight is prohibited from landing in the area. “I have told the public that this is a conflict zone, and we prohibit civilian flights, especially those carrying police and military personnel,” Sebby reiterated to BBC News Indonesia on Monday (5/8). (Uki Ruknuddin)