Eight fishermen killed in Taiz boat strikes in Yemen, ministry says

TAIZ, Yemen — Saudi strikes on boats off the coast of al-Kadha in Taiz Governorate killed eight fishermen, Yemen's Ministry of Health and Environment announced, according to a Middle East Eye report published on 21 October 2026.

Middle East Eye is the only source for this account. The details below come from its report, and Zenga News has not independently verified them.

What the ministry said

According to Middle East Eye, the ministry said the strikes targeted boats off al-Kadha, on the coast of Taiz Governorate. The ministry put the death toll at eight fishermen.

The ministry condemned the attack, Middle East Eye reported. It described the strikes as a "flagrant violation of international humanitarian law", according to the outlet's summary of the statement. The ministry also said the kingdom "continues to target civilians and civilian objects", as relayed by Middle East Eye.

The ministry attributed the strikes to Saudi Arabia. The attribution comes only from the ministry's statement as reported by Middle East Eye.

What is not known

The report does not say exactly when the strikes took place. It does not say how many boats were hit or whether anyone else was wounded. The identities of the dead have not been given, and the report does not say whether the bodies have been recovered.

Middle East Eye's report does not include a response from the Saudi government or from the Saudi-led military coalition. It does not say what the targets were believed to be or whether Saudi forces have commented on the incident. No independent witness accounts, local officials or humanitarian agencies are cited.

The report also does not say how the ministry established the number of dead. The outlet carried the announcement in a live blog update, and it does not describe any on-site reporting.

Background

Taiz Governorate is in south-western Yemen, and al-Kadha is on its coast, according to the location given in the ministry's statement as reported by Middle East Eye. The source material provides no further background on the circumstances of the incident or on the wider situation in the area.

The ministry's reference to international humanitarian law relates to the rules governing attacks on civilians and civilian objects in armed conflict. The source does not explain which specific provisions the ministry believes were breached.

Zenga News will update this report if the ministry, Saudi authorities or other sources provide further information on the strikes in Taiz.