60+ Christians Massacred in Ethiopia as Church Warns of Rising Persecution

More than 60 people have been killed in a series of attacks on Christians in Ethiopia's Oromia region, according to the country's Orthodox Church.

One resident, whose 75-year-old father was killed, described the assault as an ambush. "We were completely unprepared and had no prior knowledge. They surrounded us from all four directions," he told BBC Amharic.

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 but has denied carrying out previous such attacks.

A "massacre" in Shirka

A statement from the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church said 20 houses were burned to the ground in the attacks, though it did not say who was responsible. Eyewitnesses told BBC Amharic that five of those killed were children.

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. Many residents have now fled the area.

Condemning the 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.”

A pattern of religiously motivated violence

The Ethiopian Human Rights Council, an NGO, said in a report released in July 2026 that 458 people had been killed in attacks in that area over the previous four years making this one of the deadliest single incidents in that period. The report said armed groups had repeatedly targeted local communities, particularly followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, in what it described as religiously motivated attacks.

The government has previously blamed the OLA for such attacks, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed saying violence targeting civilians and religious institutions was part of a plan to destabilise the country. The group, which says it is fighting for greater rights for the Oromo people, denies the allegations.

Previous reports have also documented attacks against Muslims in the area. Residents who spoke to the BBC on various occasions 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.