At least 12 Orthodox Christians were killed in multiple attacks in the predominantly Muslim community in Arsi Zone. During the night of the attacks, their properties were burned down along with the 101-year-old Telata St. Gabriel Church. More than 280 people were displaced.
While the Telata St. Gabriel Church burned down, the Kara Kufta Medhane Alem church was also looted. Believers fled the area with some of the sacred tablets from the churches, along with personal belongings, when some of their houses were also set on fire.
Apart from those killed, more than 280 people were displaced in Aseko Woreda. “Orthodox Christians have been forced from the homes where they were born, raised, and built their lives. Their houses were singled out and burned solely because of their religion, and their property and livestock were looted. Those residents who survived the attacks fled with nothing but their faith and identity, and they are now left stranded in open areas without shelter,” Arsi Diocese Public Relation Media reports. The displaced learned their properties and livestock were looted, Addis Standard reports.
Local sources say the attackers gave warnings of their intentions to the residents. While some have sought to portray these attacks through an ethnic lens, the information available so far indicates that the attacks have primarily targeted Orthodox Christians and Orthodox churches. Only these Orthodox Christians in the predominantly Muslim Arsi Zone reported similar incidents during the time.
The Arsi Zone has been attacked by armed groups since 2020. The Reporter Magazine reports “this specific zone has faced an ongoing pattern of mass casualties and displacements targeting Orthodox Christians, with violence escalating significantly since July 2020. Prior to this latest incident, the most recent mass killing occurred in October 2025, when more than 30 Orthodox Christians were killed and numerous others were displaced.”
Please pray:
- Pray for families of those who were killed, that Holy Spirit will comfort them.
- Pray for physical, emotional, and spiritual provision and safety of those who are displaced.
- Pray for the government to have wisdom and willpower to bring justice to the perpetrators.
- Pray for the Christians in Arsi Zone for wisdom and safety in the situation.
- Pray that the attackers will come to know Jesus.
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