Indonesian separatist rebels kidnap New Zealand pilot after plane attack

8 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –

Separatist rebels from Indonesia’s Papua province have kidnapped pilot Philip Mehrtens after carrying out an attack on a civilian plane and setting it on fire in a mountainous region of the said province.

The group itself, which advocates for the independence of Papua, has confirmed this information and has demanded that the Government precisely recognize its independence in exchange for the release of the hostage.

Thus, he has also asked to meet with the president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, in a meeting organized by the international community, according to a spokesman for the group. It is not the first time that separatist rebels have carried out this type of attack in the area.

Members of the Police and the Armed Forces have already been deployed in the area to search for the pilot, who according to the separatists “is in good health”, as reported by the newspaper ‘The New Zealand Herald’.

For its part, the Foreign Ministry has indicated that it is offering consular support to the pilot’s family, but has ruled out commenting on the current situation.