Papua rebels hold guns to hostage pilot's head in disturbing new video

Papua rebels point guns at hostage Philip Mertens, whom they have held captive since February

New Zealand is investigating disturbing footage of the pilot who Held hostage for 10 months by separatist rebels in the Indonesian region of Papua.

Philipp Mertens, 37, was kidnapped in February by West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB) fighters after landing his single-engine Susi Air plane in a remote location. airstrip in the mountainous province of Nduga.

In the 48-second video circulating on social media, the New Zealander sits on a grassy field surrounded by a group of men pointing machine guns at him.

The leader of the group points a gun directly at the pilot's head while talking into the camera.

Threat to kill in two months

The video contains a message that Mertens will be shot within two months if the rebel demands are not met . The group had previously insisted that it would only release him when Papua achieved self-government.

New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was aware of the video but did not provide any further information regarding the footage, including when or where it was filmed.

It added that efforts to secure The release of the pilot is ongoing, including close cooperation with Indonesian authorities and the use of consular officials.

The safety and well-being of the pilot remains a top priority and his family is receiving support, the ministry said.

Six Indonesian military personnel killed in April

In April, at least six Indonesian troops were killed after separatist militants attacked a unit searching for a pilot.

The resource-rich region of Papua was a former Dutch colony that was incorporated into Indonesia after a widely criticized referendum , carried out with the support of the UN in 1969.

Since then, the country has been waging a low-intensity struggle for independence, but since 2018 the conflict has escalated significantly, and the number of independence fighters is growing. deadlier and more frequent attacks.

TPNPB has sought independence for decades and said it attacked Mr Mertens because of New Zealand's cooperation with Indonesia.

The pilot kidnapping was the second kidnapping carried out by independence fighters since 1996, when rebels kidnapped 26 members of a WWF research mission in Mapenduma.

Two Indonesians from the group were killed by the kidnappers, but the remaining hostages were eventually released within five months.