More than 60 Christians killed in Ethiopia attacks, church says

More than 60 people were killed in a series of attacks on Christians in the Shirka district of Ethiopia's Oromia region, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, whose Holy Synod said 20 houses were burnt to the ground.

Why it matters: A church official called the attacks a massacre, a local official blamed a rebel coalition that includes the Oromo Liberation Army, and the church said it had repeatedly raised insecurity in the area with authorities without a solution, in a district where a rights group counted 458 people killed in attacks over the previous four years.

Data as of BBC report of October 26, 2026, read in full in this run. Single source: the toll and the account of the attacks rest on the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and its Holy Synod, an eyewitness speaking to BBC Amharic, and a local official, as reported by the BBC; the report gives no specific calendar date for the attacks, the Holy Synod statement did not name who was responsible, and the Oromo Liberation Army had not commented on these attacks in the report. Developing item.

More than 60 people were killed in a series of attacks on Christians in three areas of the Shirka district in Ethiopia’s Oromia region, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the BBC reported on Monday. The church’s Holy Synod said 20 houses were burnt to the ground and many residents have fled the area, and an eyewitness told BBC Amharic that five of those killed were children. A church official described the attacks as a massacre and said security forces arrived but were unable to stop the assault.

A local official blamed a newly formed rebel coalition, the Alliance for Survival, which includes the Oromo Liberation Army; the Holy Synod statement did not say who was responsible, the army had not commented on these attacks in the BBC report, and it has denied carrying out previous such attacks. The regional government said it would take action against those responsible. The church said attacks against Christians had been increasing and that it had repeatedly raised insecurity concerns with authorities at different levels of government without, so far, a solution.

More than 60 Christians killed in Ethiopia attacks, church says

Sources