BOVEN DIGOEL REGENCY, SOUTH PAPUA, INDONESIA – FEBRUARY 11, 2026 Armed men in Papua shot the pilot and co-pilot of a small Smart Air aircraft during landing at Korowai Batu Airport. Captain Egon Erawan and Captain Baskoro Adi Anggoro were killed; there were 13 more passengers on board who escaped without injury.
Papua is the easternmost part of Indonesia and has been the scene of a separatist conflict for decades. The main dispute is that Indonesia considers the area its own territory after the 1969 vote supervised by the UN, while some locals and armed groups reject that. In remote parts of the region, air transport is crucial, so attacks on aircraft or airports have a major impact on everyday life and security.
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https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-papua-american-pilot-killed-95cf2f16576961960960254e56384d65
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/two-killed-after-civilian-airplane-shot-landing-indonesias-papua-police-say-2026-02-11/
