At least 60 Christians have been killed in two separate attacks in Ethiopia’s Oromia region. This is according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The church said 14 worshippers were killed in Merti district on October 20, while another 46 died in an attack in Sherka district on October 24. 

It added that more than 20 houses were set ablaze, while over 20 people sustained serious injuries and were hospitalized. The attacks come amid a prolonged insurgency and ethnic tensions in Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest region, where armed groups have been accused of exploiting religious and communal divisions. 

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said the October 24 attack was believed to have been religiously motivated and targeted Orthodox Christians, citing reports that an Orthodox church was looted. The organisation also noted an increase in attacks against Orthodox Christians in the region since February 2023, with violence intensifying over the past year. 

However, the possible involvement of the Oromo Liberation Front, a major insurgent group operating in the region, has not been established. Meanwhile, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said it is monitoring the situation and investigating the details of the attacks.