The Holy Synod said 14 people were killed on 20 October in Gora Silingo, Angada Kebele in the Merti district, and 46 on 24 October in the villages of Tereta, Chole and Birbo in the Shirka district, both districts in the Arsi Zone of central Oromia. More than 20 people were seriously injured and 20 homes burned down, it said. The synod described the killings as "extremely tragic cruelty and suffering inflicted on our citizens" and said they violated constitutional protections for life and religious freedom and threatened Ethiopia's tradition of peaceful coexistence among different faiths. It called on government institutions to publicly condemn the attacks, strengthen civilian protection and ensure those responsible are brought to justice, and urged security agencies to provide additional protection. The church said it would seek discussions with senior government officials, announced prayers for the victims on Monday and directed Orthodox churches and monasteries worldwide to hold similar services on Tuesday.
A church official had earlier described the attacks on three areas of the Shirka district as a "massacre", saying security forces arrived at the scene but were unable to stop the assault. One resident, whose 75-year-old father was killed, told BBC Amharic: "We were completely unprepared and had no prior knowledge. They surrounded us from all four directions." Eyewitnesses told the BBC that five of those killed were children, and that many residents have now fled the area. The BBC put the overall toll at more than 60.
No group has claimed responsibility. The Oromia regional government has pledged to pursue those responsible. According to media reports, a local official blamed 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. The church said attacks against Christians had been increasing recently and that it had repeatedly raised concerns with authorities at different levels of government, but that "so far there has been no solution".
The Ethiopian Human Rights Council, a non-governmental organisation, said in a report released in July that hundreds of people had been killed in attacks in the area in recent years. The BBC reported the council's figure as 458 killed over the previous four years, while Al Jazeera reported it as at least 432 civilians and four local militia members killed in targeted attacks across East Arsi between 2021-22 and 1 June this year. The report described armed groups as repeatedly targeting local communities, particularly followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, in what it called 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 OLA, 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. About two-thirds of Ethiopians are Christians, mostly Orthodox, and one-third are Muslim.