New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens released by Papua rebels after 19 months

Jakarta [Indonesia]: New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens has been released by separatist rebels in Indonesia's restive Papua region, 19 months after his kidnapping.

Mehrtens Held Captive for 19 Months
Mehrtens had been held captive since February 2023. The New Zealand government said that Phillip Mehrtens, taken hostage in Papua, Indonesia, is now safe.

Kidnapped While Working as Pilot
Mehrtens was taken hostage while working as a pilot at a remote airstrip in Paro, Papua, on February 7, 2023.

New Zealand Government Expresses Relief
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters in a statement expressed his relief at the release of Mehrtens and said, "We are pleased and relieved to confirm that Phillip Mehrtens is safe and well and has been able to talk with his family."

Ongoing Efforts to Secure Release
He added, "This news must be an enormous relief for his friends and loved ones." The Foreign Minister further said that for the last 19 and a half months, a wide range of government agencies worked with Indonesian authorities and others towards securing Mehrtens' release.

Rebel Group's Role in Abduction
Mehrtens, of Christchurch, a pilot for Indonesian aviation company Susi Air, was abducted by fighters from the West Papua Liberation Army, the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, who stormed his single-engine plane shortly after it landed on a small runway in Paro in remote Nduga district.

(With ANI inputs)