Liberia-flagged tanker Chios Lion turned around after being attacked by Yemen's Houthis on Monday to assess damage and investigate a potential oil spillage, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Joint Maritime Information Center said on Tuesday.
An unmanned watercraft inflicted minor damage to Chios Lion's port side on Monday as part of a swarm of attacks by the Houthis on the vessel and another ship sailing around 100 nautical miles northwest of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah.
"While originally headed south, following the attack the vessel turned around and back north out of the threat area to further assess damage and investigate potential oil spillage," the JMIC said in a statement. It added that the captain and crew were safe.
Yemen's Houthis said they targeted Chios Lion and Bentley I with ballistic missiles, drones and booby-trapped boats in response to the deadly Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis on Saturday.