New Zealand helicopter pilot killed in Papua by Indonesian rebels

A New Zealand pilot, Glen Malcolm Conning, 50, was killed by a pro-independence group in an isolated area after his helicopter landed. This incident occurred nearly 18 months after the abduction of another New Zealand pilot, Phillip Mehrtens, who is still being held by the same group. The authorities have confirmed that the group responsible for Conning's death is the same one that is holding Mehrtens. New Zealand's foreign ministry has been informed of the incident and is seeking information from local authorities.