At least 60 Christians killed in Ethiopia amid rising religious violence

Scores of Christian worshippers have been killed in Ethiopia in what the Orthodox Church has declared as religious violence. It is still unclear who was behind the attack, with rebels and local governments blaming each other. More from our correspondent, Tom Kennedy. About 60 people were killed in a series of attacks in the Oromia region over the weekend, including several children, in what the Orthodox Church has called a massacre against Christians. On top of the killings, about 20 houses were burnt down, according to local authorities. It's not yet known what group the armed assailants belong to, but France 24 was able to speak to a survivor. We have chosen to keep the following interview anonymous. We kept screaming, asking for ambulances to come, but no one came for the victims. The ambulances never arrived. No one helped us. It was a massacre. Among the people who were butchered were merchants, women, the elderly, infants. And you talk to, and you talk to him. It was all done in a coordinated manner. Even the roads were blocked so the authorities couldn't come. Muslims have also been targeted in the past in the Oromia region. The Ethiopian Human Rights Council says that faith-based violence is to blame for about 500 deaths in the RS zone over the last five years and the displacement of about 15,000 others.