More than 60 Christians killed in Ethiopia 'massacre', church official says

More than 60 people were killed in coordinated attacks on Christians in Ethiopia’s Oromia region. A resident described an ambush, saying attackers surrounded people from all four directions. The violence occurred in three areas of Shirka district and forced many residents to flee. The attacks matter because they were described by a church official as a massacre and are among the deadliest in the area’s recent history.

Shirka is identified in the report as a district within Oromia region. The article does not provide a city, distance, or more detailed map location. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church said 20 houses were burned to the ground. An eyewitness told BBC Amharic that five people killed were children. Security forces reportedly arrived but could not stop the assault.

The regional government said it would act against those responsible. However, responsibility remains unsettled. A local official blamed a newly formed rebel coalition that includes the Oromo Liberation Army, while the church statement did not identify the attackers. Continued violence has caused displacement and intensified concerns about insecurity in the district.

The attacks killed more than 60 people, according to Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church. Five of those killed were children, an eyewitness told BBC Amharic. The church also reported that 20 houses were burned completely. Together, these figures show that the violence harmed families and destroyed homes, not just individual victims.

The killings happened across three areas of Shirka district in Oromia. One resident said attackers surrounded people from every direction, leaving them unprepared. A church official called the assault a massacre. Security forces arrived at the scene but were unable to stop the attack, according to the report.

The numbers are especially significant because the area has experienced repeated violence. An Ethiopian Human Rights Council report said 458 people had been killed there during the previous four years. The latest attack was described as one of the deadliest in that period. Many residents have fled, while the regional government says it will pursue those responsible.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church. The article says about two-thirds of Ethiopians are Christians, mostly Orthodox. That makes the church a major religious institution and an important voice in this report. Its Holy Synod reported that 20 houses were burned, while a church official called the attacks a massacre.

The church also condemned violence against Christians and said such actions weaken mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. It stated that it had repeatedly warned authorities about insecurity at different government levels. According to the church, no solution had been found so far. Its statement therefore describes both the immediate attack and a longer-running failure to provide security.

The church’s role does not establish who carried out the assault. Its statement did not name a perpetrator. Instead, it documents the effects on local communities, highlights the religious dimension, and calls attention to continuing insecurity. This matters because previous reports also recorded attacks against Muslims, suggesting broader ethnic and religious violence in the area.

A local official blamed the attacks on the Alliance for Survival, a newly formed rebel coalition that includes the Oromo Liberation Army, or OLA. The government has previously accused the OLA of attacks on civilians and religious institutions. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said such violence formed part of a plan to destabilise Ethiopia.

The evidence described in the report does not settle responsibility. The OLA has not commented on this specific assault, but it has denied carrying out previous attacks blamed on it. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which reported the killings and burned homes, also did not say who was responsible. Security forces arrived but could not stop the attack.

The dispute matters because assigning responsibility affects accountability and the prospects for preventing further violence. The regional government says it will act against those responsible, but the report does not describe arrests or a completed investigation. The OLA says it is fighting for greater rights for the Oromo people, while authorities connect it to destabilising attacks.

The attack is part of a sustained pattern of violence in the area. The Ethiopian Human Rights Council reported in July 2026 that 458 people had been killed in attacks there during the previous four years. It described armed groups as repeatedly targeting local communities, especially followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

The latest assault stands out because it killed more than 60 people and was described as one of the most deadly attacks in that four-year period. Twenty houses were burned, five children were reportedly among the dead, and many residents fled. A church official called the incident a massacre, while security forces were unable to stop it.

The pattern is not limited to attacks on Christians. Previous reports also documented violence against Muslims. Residents have described the conflict as both ethnic and religious. The government has blamed the OLA, which denies the allegations. Without a stated solution to the insecurity, continued attacks could bring further deaths, destruction, and displacement.

Continued attacks make ordinary life unsafe and can break apart local communities. In this case, many residents fled after the assault, while 20 houses were burned to the ground. The killing of more than 60 people, including five children, also left families grieving and communities without some of their members.

The report gives a direct example of how insecurity spreads. A resident said attackers surrounded people from all four directions, leaving them completely unprepared. Security forces reached the scene but could not stop the attack. The church said it had repeatedly warned authorities about insecurity, but reported that no solution had been found.

The immediate reality is displacement, destroyed homes, and continuing fear. The violence also threatens what the church called mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. The regional government says it will act against those responsible, but the article does not report arrests or a lasting security solution. Further violence could force more residents to leave.

Ethnic and religious identities can overlap because people belong to several communities at once. An attack may therefore be understood as targeting someone’s ethnic group, religion, or both. In this report, residents described violence as ethnic and religious, while armed groups were said to target local communities, particularly followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

The conflict also has a political dimension. The Oromo Liberation Army says it is fighting for greater rights for Oromo people. Authorities have blamed it for attacks on civilians and religious institutions, although the group denies the allegations. Previous reports documented attacks against Muslims too, showing that the violence is not presented as affecting only one faith.

When identities overlap, a community can face several kinds of threat at once. Religious institutions may become symbols of group identity, while ethnic divisions shape who is seen as belonging. The article does not identify one confirmed cause for every attack. It does show that the violence has damaged coexistence among communities with different ethnic and religious identities.