A coordinated attack swept through several kebeles in the Asoko district of East Arsi Zone starting in the early hours of July 7, according to residents and eyewitnesses who described intense fighting and mass displacement. The violence broke out around 3:00 a.m. and represents a sharp escalation in a district that was already reeling from a deadly assault only weeks earlier.
Local accounts indicate the clashes began in Bio kebele before spreading rapidly to nearby areas, including Chefe, Erecha Michael, Lengcha Oda, the Berarti forest region, Kwas Dire, Dibu, Sunt Maryam, and Weranbus. At least four fatalities have been confirmed so far, though residents fear the true toll is considerably higher and may not be known for some time.
Community members describe the attackers as a heavily armed force numbering in the thousands, allegedly intent on forcing out the local population and stripping the area of property within days. Many residents say they feel left to fend for themselves, with little confidence that security forces can or will protect them.
There are also accusations that local administrators and community leaders confiscated weapons residents had been using for self-defense, and suspicions among some that officials may be colluding with the attackers. According to a source who spoke with Meseret media, officials have reportedly gone door to door confiscating phones and pressuring residents into silence to prevent news of the attack from spreading.
Adding to the frustration, roughly 75 federal police personnel stationed near the historic Geleta Gabriel Church, itself burned down a month earlier, reportedly failed to intercept the attackers, who witnesses say maneuvered around the security post with ease. Since the previous night, telecom networks in the district have gone dark, cutting residents off from the rest of the country and making it difficult to verify the scale of the damage.
The attack lands amid a broader climate of instability across Oromia, where armed groups have stepped up activity in recent months. East Arsi Zone in particular has endured recurring cycles of violence, with civilians caught between militant groups and security forces widely seen as ineffective. The destruction of sites like Geleta Gabriel Church has compounded the toll, threatening landmarks of religious and cultural significance to the region.
Residents are now pleading for urgent federal intervention, warning that inaction could allow the crisis to spiral further. One local resident, quoted by the source publication, said the situation had become dangerous enough that they feared for people’s basic safety without swift help from security forces. With phone lines down and families fleeing the area, the full scope of casualties and destruction remains unclear. Thousands are believed to have been internally displaced, many without access to food, shelter, or medical care.
Source: Adapted from reporting by Borkena, July 8, 2026.
