More than 60 Christians have been killed in a series of attacks in Ethiopia's Oromia region, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, in one of the deadliest assaults on the community in years. A church official described the attacks on three areas in the Shirka district as a "massacre," saying security forces arrived at the scene but were unable to stop the assault.
What happened in Shirka district
The attacks struck villages in the Shirka district of Oromia's Arsi area on Saturday, October 24, 2026, according to residents and church sources cited by the BBC and AFP. Armed attackers surrounded homes from several directions in the early morning, residents told BBC Amharic. One resident, whose 75-year-old father was killed, said: "We were completely unprepared and had no prior knowledge. They surrounded us from all four directions."
The Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church said 20 houses were burned to the ground. Eyewitnesses told BBC Amharic that five of those killed were children. Survivors sought shelter in nearby churches, a local deacon told AFP, adding: "We are deeply shocked by these tragic killings and are appealing to the government to intervene and restore security."
Conflicting casualty figures
The exact death toll remains unsettled, with different counts emerging from residents, church sources and monitors. The church's figure stands at more than 60 killed, while AFP, citing residents and the conflict monitoring group ACLED, reported at least 43 killed and 18 wounded. Other local accounts put the toll between 42 and 51. The regional government said it would take action against those responsible.
A local official blamed the attacks on a newly formed rebel coalition, the Alliance for Survival, which includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The OLA has not commented on the latest attacks but has denied carrying out previous such attacks, the BBC reported.
A pattern of violence
The Orthodox Church said attacks against Christians had been increasing recently, and that "such actions undermine the country'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 "so far there has been no solution."
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 that area over the previous four years. The church said this latest assault ranks among the deadliest in that period, and Oromia, Ethiopia's largest region, has faced a long-running insurgency and ethnic tensions.
What happens next
Attention now turns to whether the regional government follows through on its promise of action, and whether security improves for villages that survivors say were left exposed. For grieving families in Shirka, the immediate needs are burials, care for the wounded and protection for those who fled their homes. The church's appeal for government intervention will test whether this massacre becomes a turning point or another entry in a grim pattern.
Watch: CBN News reports on the killing of more than 60 Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: BBC via VidiaNews, Charisma News, White Wolf