Sana'a: The British ambassador narrowly escaped what appeared to be a suicide attack on his armored car while travelling to work Monday morning, Yemeni officials said.
British Embassy spokeswoman Chantel Mortimer said the ambassador, Timothy Torlot, was unhurt, but the attack underlined the precarious security in Yemen.
Yemen has in recent years become a haven for Al Qaida militants taking advantage of the government's limited authority outside major cities and tribal control over the rest of the country.
The Yemeni officials said the vehicle was passing through a poor neighborhood in the eastern part of San'a when an explosion went off nearby. They said they believed the attacker was wearing an explosives belt and that he was killed in the explosion.
There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, but it bore the hallmarks of Al Qaida.
Witnesses said the attacker was a young man who wore a school uniform, apparently as a disguise. The officials said the neighborhood where the attack took place was popular with militants.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The Foreign Office in London said the embassy has been closed to the public and warned all British nationals in Yemen to "keep a low profile and remain vigilant."
"We can confirm that there was an incident in San'a this morning. There was a small explosion beside the British Ambassador's car. He was unhurt. No other embassy staff or British nationals were injured," The Foreign Office said in a statement.
