Attack on Orthodox Christians kills 43 in Oromia
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Punch
At least 43 people were killed and 18 injured in an attack targeting villages, Orthodox churches and homes in Shirka district, Oromia, Ethiopia. The attack, attributed to an unidentified armed group and described as probably religiously motivated, took place on Saturday, according to residents and conflict monitor ACLED, cited by AFP.
At least 43 people were killed and 18 injured on Saturday in attacks targeting Orthodox churches and homes in the Shirka district of Ethiopia’s Oromia State, according to residents and conflict monitor ACLED, cited by AFP on Monday. The armed group responsible has not been identified.
The attacks, which reportedly targeted Orthodox Christians for religious reasons, sparked clashes with local militias and continued on Saturday afternoon and into the evening, according to ACLED. A deacon from an attacked church told AFP that 46 people had died and that residents had taken refuge in nearby churches. Residents gave death tolls of up to 51.
Oromia, Ethiopia’s most populous region, faces a long-running insurgency and tensions among Muslim, Protestant and Orthodox communities. ACLED has recorded an increase in attacks against Orthodox Christians since February 2023, with an intensification from last year. The toll comes after the fighting between Somali and Oromia, which left five people dead on 25 October.
