More Than 60 Christians Killed in Ethiopia Massacre, Church Official Reports
October 26, 2026 · Frisian News
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
More than 60 Orthodox Christians were killed in attacks on villages and churches in Ethiopia's Oromia region on October 24, 2026, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Security forces arrived at the scene but could not stop the assault, and no arrests have been reported.
More than 60 Orthodox Christians were killed in a series of attacks on villages and churches in Ethiopia's Oromia region on Saturday, October 24, 2026, according to the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. A church official described the violence in three areas of Shirka district as a "massacre." Five of those killed were children, an eyewitness told BBC Amharic.
The survivors describe an ambush. A resident whose 75-year-old father died in the assault told BBC Amharic: "We were completely unprepared and had no prior knowledge. They surrounded us from all four directions." The Holy Synod's statement said 20 houses were burnt to the ground. Many residents have since fled the area.
Security forces arrived at the scene but were unable to stop the assault, according to the church official who spoke to the BBC. No suspects have been identified. The state-run Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said it was "following the situation." No arrests have been reported.
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 this incident. It has denied responsibility for previous similar attacks. The regional government said it would take action against those responsible.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church said in a Facebook statement that it had "repeatedly raised concerns about insecurity with authorities at different levels of government" but that "so far there has been no solution." The church said attacks against Christians had been increasing and that such violence undermined "the country's values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence."
The Ethiopian Human Rights Council, a non-governmental organisation, released a report in July 2026 showing that 458 people had been killed in attacks in that area over the previous four years. The Council described armed groups as repeatedly targeting communities, particularly followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, in what it called religiously motivated attacks. Saturday's assault ranks among the deadliest single incidents in that period.
Local accounts gave varying death tolls. Borkena, an Ethiopian news outlet, reported at least 47 killed. Other estimates cited by Times Now News ranged from 43 to 51, with 18 wounded. The church's figure of more than 60 is the highest count reported. Ground.news, aggregating multiple reports, noted that residents and ACLED said the attackers used heavy weapons.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has previously stated that violence targeting civilians and religious institutions is part of a plan to destabilise the country, attributing responsibility to the OLA. The OLA denies those allegations and says it is fighting for greater rights for the Oromo people. Previous reports have also documented attacks against Muslims in the same region. Residents have described the violence as both ethnic and religious in nature. About two-thirds of Ethiopians are Christians, mostly Orthodox. One third are Muslim.
Four years, 458 recorded dead, repeated warnings to government at multiple levels, no arrests: the church's count of 60-plus in this latest series of attacks shows the gap has not closed.
Published October 26, 2026 · Frisian News