The Joint Maritime Information Center for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (JMIC) said Tuesday that the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Chios Lion was attacked by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea, and that it was assessing the damage and investigating a potential oil spill.

An unmanned vessel caused minor damage to the Chios Lion's port side on Monday, after the Houthis launched multiple attacks on the ship and another vessel sailing in waters about 100 nautical miles northwest of the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah.

“After the attack, the vessel was heading south, but reversed course and headed north away from the threat area to further assess the damage and investigate a potential oil spill,” the Joint Military Impact Assessment Center said in a statement.

The captain and crew were safe, the report said.

Chios Lion's manager did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Yemen's Houthis said they attacked the Chios Lion and Bentley I using ballistic missiles, drones and bomb-laden speedboats in retaliation for a deadly Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis on Saturday.

Houthi attacks have taken an economic toll on global trade since last November, forcing shipowners to abandon the Suez Canal shortcut in favor of the longer, more expensive African bypass route.

Spilled cargoes such as oil and fertilizer, as well as ship fuel, also pose an environmental threat.