60 Christians Slaughtered in Ethiopia in Latest Massacre, Children Reported Dead
Church officials in Ethiopia have confirmed that at least 60 Orthodox Christians, including five children, were murdered in two separate attacks last week in the nation’s conflict-heavy Oromia region.
A local resident whose 75-year-old father was killed described the attacks as an ambush in a statement to the BBC.
“We were completely unprepared and had no prior knowledge,” the unnamed resident said. “They surrounded us from all four directions.”
In a post published to the social media site X, Isareli writer and speaker Hen Mazzig, the co-founder of the Tel Aviv Institute, described the attacks as “truly heartbreaking.”
In Ethiopia 🇪🇹, more than 60 Christians were killed, and multiple homes and churches were burnt down by armed militants in the Shirka district of Oromia.
Truly heartbreaking.
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) October 26, 2026
According to Al Jazeera, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s holy synod released a statement on Monday describing the attacks as “extremely tragic cruelty and suffering inflicted on our citizens.”
The church added that over 20 people were seriously injured, while roughly 20 homes were burned to the ground.
Meanwhile, a church official cited by the BBC described the attacks as a “massacre” and revealed that Ethiopian security forces arrived on scene too late, meaning they were unable to stop the attack.
The church also said 14 were killed on Oct. 20 in Gora Silingo, Angada Kebele in the Merti district, and another 46 were killed four days later in the villages of Tereta, Chole, and Birbo in the Shirka district.
Both districts where the killings occurred are reportedly located in the Arsi Zone in the Oromia region.
Al Jazeera confirmed that the synod has condemned the killings, arguing that they violated constitutional protections for life and religious freedom, and that they threatened the nation’s tradition of peaceful coexistence.
The synod also called on the government to condemn the attacks, bring the perpetrators to justice, and offer more protection for civilians.
Warning: This post contains graphic content that may be disturbing for some readers.
At least 42 people were killed and 18 others injured after armed men attacked several villages in the Shirka district of Ethiopia’s Oromia region. The victims were reportedly members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. https://t.co/Roiioa8QuY
— Mintel World (@mintelworld) October 27, 2026
According to the BBC, local officials have blamed the attacks on a newly formed rebel coalition known as the Alliance for Survival. The group reportedly also includes the Oromo Liberation Army.
This latest massacre comes almost a full year after President Donald Trump ordered U.S. airstrikes in Nigeria on Christmas Day 2025 in retaliation for Islamic militants killing Christians.
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“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” the president wrote on Truth Social at the time.
It wasn’t clear as of Tuesday morning whether the president would also take any action in Ethiopia.
A report filed by the Ethiopian Human Rights Council this past summer revealed that 458 people living in the Oromia region have been killed in attacks over the past four years, as noted by the BBC.
“But this is one of the most deadly attacks in that period,” the BBC reported.
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