UK ambassador to Yemen is targeted in suicide bombing

Britain's ambassador to Yemen escaped unharmed after his convoy was targeted by a suicide bomber early on Monday. British officials said the embassy would remain shut until further notice.

By News Wires (text)

REUTERS - An explosion near the convoy of the British ambassador to Yemen early on Monday killed one person, believed to be a suicide bomber, but the ambassador was unharmed, a security source told Reuters.

Ambassador Tim Torlot was on his way to the embassy when the blast occurred, the security source said.

"We can confirm there was an incident this morning involving a member of embassy staff," Chantel Mortimer, a spokeswoman for the British embassy in Sanaa told Reuters.

"We are working closely with the Yemeni authorities to investigate what happened. We can confirm there were no UK or embassy member casualties," she said.

"The embassy will remain closed to members of the public," she said.

Yemen has for years been battling al Qaeda and other militant groups. The regional wing of the militant group, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), is based in Yemen and has previously threatened and carried out attacks targeting foreign embassies.

AQAP most recently claimed a bomb attempt on a U.S.-bound plane in December.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday's explosion.

The Yemeni authorities were investigating the area of the blast which has been cordoned off, security sources said.