The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church says at least 60 of its faithful have been killed in two separate attacks in the Arsi Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia's largest region, in the latest wave of violence against Christian communities in the area.

In a statement issued on Monday, October 26, the church's Holy Synod said 14 people were killed on October 20 at Gora Silingo in Angada Kebele, Merti district, while another 46 were killed on October 24 in the villages of Tereta, Chole and Birbo in Shirka district, according to Addis Standard and Al Jazeera.

The synod, relying on a report from its local diocese, said more than 20 people were severely injured and 20 homes were burned.

The synod described the killings as "extremely tragic cruelty and suffering inflicted on our citizens".

Six hours of door-to-door killings

Residents who spoke to Addis Standard at a mass funeral said armed men carrying AK-47 rifles and other weapons went door to door in Chole and Birbo on the evening of Saturday, October 24, shooting and stabbing residents and looting homes in an assault that lasted nearly six hours into Sunday morning. Women, elderly people and at least six children under 15 were among the dead, they said, and a church in Digelu town was looted.

Residents said local night-time neighbourhood watches were overwhelmed, and that the attackers withdrew only after the federal army deployed to the area on Sunday evening. The first 35 to 37 victims were buried in a mass grave that day. The residents' accounts could not be independently verified.

Who is responsible?

No group has claimed responsibility and no arrests have been reported. The head of the Oromia regional communication bureau, Hailu Adugna, blamed an armed group in brief comments to state media, while Al Jazeera reported that a local official accused a newly formed rebel alliance that includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The OLA has previously denied attacking civilians.

The Oromia regional government has pledged to pursue those responsible.

Church demands protection

The synod said the killings violated constitutional guarantees of the right to life and freedom of religion, and warned that killings, displacement and destruction of property targeting Orthodox Christians in Arsi and elsewhere were escalating.

It called on the government to publicly condemn the attacks, protect civilians and bring the perpetrators to justice, and asked security agencies to give affected communities special protection. The church held prayers for the victims in Addis Ababa on Monday and asked its churches and monasteries around the world to hold services on Tuesday. It also said it would seek talks with senior government officials.

A pattern of attacks

The violence is the latest in a string of attacks in the Arsi area. The Ethiopian Human Rights Council reported in July that at least 432 civilians and four local militia members had been killed in targeted attacks across East Arsi since 2021/22, alongside kidnappings for ransom and forced displacement. Earlier this year, churches in neighbouring Aseko district were burned and looted, and a priest in Shirka was kidnapped and killed in June.

The attacks add to a growing list of security crises facing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government, from tensions in Tigray to fighting between Oromia and Somali regional forces in Moyale, on the Kenyan border, which has pushed tens of thousands of people into Marsabit County this month.

Photos: Orthodox faithful at Holy Trinity Church, Addis Ababa (AFP via Al Jazeera); Ethiopian Orthodox priests and deacons during a church service (Gyrofrog, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons)