Pilot held hostage by rebels for 19 months in major development

The pilot was taken hostage 19 months ago when rebels ambushed his plane as he took five passengers to a remote area of Indonesia, with rebels shooting another pilot last month

A pilot has been freed more than 19 months after being taken hostage by separatists in Indonesia.

Philip Mehrtens, from New Zealand, was kidnapped by West Papua National Liberation Army fighters in February last year. The 38-year-old was taken as he landed a small commercial plane in Nduga, a remote and mountainous area.

The plane belongs to Indonesia's Susi Air and was meant to return hours later after dropping its five passengers off but not long after landing, rebels swooped, targeting the small plane and its pilot. The rebels released the five passengers, who were indigenous Papuans.

As he appeared before cameras for the first time since his release, he was thin with a full beard but is believed to be in good health. Speaking infront of cameras in Timika, he said in Indonesian: "Today I have been freed. I am very happy that shortly I will be able to go home and meet my family."

He continued: "Thank you for everybody who helped me today, so I can get out safely in a healthy condition," BBC news reported.

The release came after months of diplomatic efforts from officials in Wellington and Jakarta. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was thankful for the release with the country's foreign minister adding: "His family will be absolutely over the moon".

Bay Suseno, an Indonesian Police spokesperson, said Mr Mehrtens was released before being picked up in a village called Yuguru and then flown to the city of Timika.

Days before the release, rebels told the BBC Indonesian service they were going to free Mr Mehrtens "safely and in accordance with international standards for the protection of human rights".

The dad-of-one pilot is to be flown to Jakarta where he will be reunited with his family. The kidnapping was part of a long and violent conflict between the Indonesian government and the West Papua's indigenous people.

The BBC continues to report how in April last year, at least one Indonesian soldier was killed when he was ambushed by rebels while searching for the kidnapped pilot. Just last month another New Zealand pilot, Glen Malcolm Conning, was shot dead by a pro-independence group.

The group responsible for the shooting is believed to be the same as the one that kidnapped Mr Mehrtens. A spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army has previosuly told the BBC Indonesian service how it wanted to hold Mr Mehrtens until countries "like New Zealand and Australia" took responsibility for the violence they allegedly contributed to in Papua.