Ethiopia Church Confirms 60 Orthodox Faithful Killed in Arsi Attacks

Sixty Orthodox Christians were killed in attacks in the Arsi Zone of Ethiopia Oromia region on October 20 and October 24, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church confirmed in a statement issued on Monday, October 26. More than 20 other people sustained severe injuries and 20 homes were burned down, according to the Holy Synod, the church governing body that issued the statement.

The Holy Synod said 14 people were killed on October 20 in Angada Kebele, in the Gora Silingo area of Merti district. Another 46 people were killed on October 24 in Tereta, Chole and Birbo, in Shirka district. The victims were Orthodox faithful, and the statement said killings, displacement and destruction of property targeting Orthodox Christians in Arsi and other parts of Ethiopia had continued to escalate.

What witnesses described

Residents who spoke to BBC Amharic described an ambush in Shirka district. 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." Eyewitnesses told BBC Amharic that five of those killed were children. A church official described the attacks on three areas in Shirka district as a massacre, and said security forces arrived at the scene but were unable to stop the assault.

The Holy Synod statement did not say who was responsible for the attacks. The BBC reported that a local official blamed a newly formed rebel coalition, the Alliance for Survival, which includes the Oromo Liberation Army. The regional government said it would take action against those responsible. The Oromo Liberation Army has not commented on these attacks, and it has denied carrying out previous such attacks.

The church response

"We have heard with deep sorrow the report submitted by the Diocese Office," the Holy Synod said, describing the killings as extremely tragic cruelty and suffering inflicted on citizens. The church condemned the attacks, said they violated the constitutional rights to life and freedom of religion, and called on government institutions to publicly condemn the killings, protect civilians and ensure that those responsible were brought to justice. It also asked security agencies to give the affected communities special attention and protection until the security situation is resolved.

The Holy Synod held a prayer of absolution on Monday, October 26, at the Menbere Patriarch Kidiste Kidusan Maryam Monastery, and directed that similar prayers be held in Ethiopian Orthodox churches and monasteries worldwide on Tuesday, October 27, following the Divine Liturgy. It said it would arrange discussions with senior government officials about the security crisis.

A pattern in East Arsi

The Ethiopian Human Rights Council said in a report released in July 2026 that 458 people had been killed in attacks in that area over the previous four years, in what it described as religiously motivated attacks on local communities, particularly followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The BBC described the October attacks as one of the most deadly in that period. About two thirds of Ethiopians are Christians, most of them Orthodox, and about one third are Muslim, according to the BBC. Residents have described the violence in the area to the BBC on various occasions as both ethnic and religious in nature.