YEMENI insurgent Houthis fired two missiles targeting a Liberian-flagged containership in the Gulf of Aden, though the projectiles splashed down nearby without causing any damage, reported the Associated Press.

The attack comes after the Houthis repeatedly assaulted and then boarded a Greek-flagged oil tanker in the nearby Red Sea, planting explosives they later detonated.

That attack risked a major oil spill as the rebels' campaign disrupts the US$1 trillion in goods that pass through the Red Sea each year over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, as well as halting some aid shipments to war-ton Sudan and Yemen.

In the attack Friday night, two missiles exploded in close proximity to the vessel some 240 kilometres (150 miles) east of Aden, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said.

The ship "reports all crew are safe and proceeding to next port of call," the UKMTO said. "Investigations are ongoing."

The Joint Maritime Information Centre, a multinational body overseen by the US Navy identified the vessel targeted as the Liberian-flagged container ship Groton.

The Groton came under attack August 3 as well in a similar Houthi assault off Aden that included two missiles fired at the vessel, with one causing minor damage.

The ship "was targeted due to other vessels within its company structure making recent port calls in Israel," the centre said.

Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, claimed the attack in a pre-recorded video address aired Saturday night. He claimed the missiles hit the Groton.

The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a United States-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets.

The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

Meanwhile, the US military's Central Command said Saturday it destroyed two drones over Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen.