April 17, 2026
World
World
MANILA, April 17 — Philippine security forces killed 10 alleged Islamist militants today after they resisted arrest in a clash in the country’s south, police said.
PONTIANAK, April 16 — Indonesian authorities have launched a search for a helicopter carrying eight people after losing contact with the aircraft earlier today, a rescue official told AFP.
The helicopter, operated by local company Matthew Air Nusantara, had departed from West Kalimantan on Borneo en route to another destination within the province, according to the regional search and rescue agency.
On board were two crew members and six passengers, with communication reportedly lost at around 8.10am.
I Made Junetra, head of the local search and rescue agency, said about 20 personnel have been deployed to the area of the aircraft’s last known location. An Air Force helicopter has also been mobilised to assist in the operation.
Indonesia, an archipelago that depends heavily on air travel to connect its many islands, has faced ongoing aviation safety challenges, with several deadly incidents in recent years.
In January, a turboprop aircraft chartered by the fisheries ministry crashed into a mountain in Sulawesi, killing all 10 people on board.
In September last year, a helicopter carrying eight people went down shortly after take-off in South Kalimantan, with no survivors.
Less than two weeks later, another helicopter crash in the remote Papua district of Ilaga claimed four lives. — AFP
