Papua separatists claim to have shot dead a US pilot who transported Indonesian troops

An American pilot was reportedly killed and his plane burned after landing in Papua, according to separatist fighters; Indonesian authorities are still trying to verify the situation.
The West Papua Liberation Army says civilian flights are being used to move troops and has warned it will target aircraft in its zones; the military denies those claims and says passengers were Papuan civilians.
The incident underscores a spike in violence in the decades‑long Papua insurgency, and separatists are calling for international mediation to resolve the conflict.