OMM Newsroom
More than 60 people have been killed in a series of attacks on Christians in Ethiopia’s Oromia region, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, BBC World reported.
A resident whose 75-year-old father was killed described the attack as an ambush, telling BBC Amharic that people had been surrounded from all sides without warning.
The regional government said it would take action against those responsible. A local official blamed the attacks on the newly formed Alliance for Survival, a rebel coalition that includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).
The OLA has not commented on the latest attacks, but has denied responsibility for similar incidents in the past.
The Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church said 20 houses had been burnt down. Its statement did not identify those responsible. An eyewitness told BBC Amharic that five of those killed were children.
A church official called the attacks in three areas of Shirka district a “massacre”. The official said security forces reached the scene but were unable to stop the assault. Many residents have since fled the area.
The Orthodox Church condemned the violence, saying attacks against Christians had increased recently and undermined Ethiopia’s values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the church said it had repeatedly raised concerns about insecurity with authorities at different levels of government, but that no solution had been found.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Council, a non-governmental organisation, said in a report released in July 2026 that 458 people had been killed in attacks in the area over the previous four years. It described the latest incident as one of the deadliest attacks during that period.
The report said armed groups had repeatedly targeted local communities, particularly followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, in attacks it described as religiously motivated.
The government has previously blamed the OLA for attacks. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said violence targeting civilians and religious institutions was part of a plan to destabilise the country. The OLA says it is fighting for greater rights for the Oromo people and denies the allegations.
Previous reports have also documented attacks against Muslims in the area. Residents who have spoken to the BBC have described the violence as both ethnic and religious in nature.
About two-thirds of Ethiopians are Christians, mostly Orthodox, while one-third are Muslim.
