JAKARTA: A small passenger plane was shot dead by unidentified gunmen while landing in Indonesia’s South Papua province, killing the pilot and co-pilot, while 13 passengers on board miraculously survived.
According to reports, the incident occurred at the Karwawai airstrip in the Bowen Degoel district. Faisal Rahmadani, operations chief of the Damai Cortens Task Force, said that the plane operated by Smart Air had taken off from Tanah Merah yesterday morning. As soon as the plane entered the landing phase at the airstrip at around 11 am local time, it was suddenly fired upon.
According to authorities, the pilot and co-pilot lost their lives on the spot as a result of the shooting, but the 13 passengers on board were safely evacuated. Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.
Faisal Rahamdani says that investigations are underway to identify and arrest the group involved in the attack, and that the elements responsible for the incident will soon be brought to justice.
