An Indonesian military helicopter carrying 12 people
went missing on Friday over rebellious Papua province.
The Russian-made Mil Mi-17 was supposed to land at Sentani airport at
1 pm (0400 GMT) but lost contact a few minutes after take-off from
Oksibil in the mountainous Pegunungan Bintang district, local
military spokesman Muhammad Aidi said.
A search is under way for the helicopter, Aidi said.
Papua, a mainly Melanesian region rich in resources, has been the
scene of a low-level separatist insurgency for decades.
Security forces intensified anti-insurgency operations in Papua
after rebels killed 19 workers building a highway and one soldier in
Nduga district in early December.
A Russian-made Mil Mi-17 Indonesian military helicopter