British ambassador escapes Yemen attack
Evidence suggests al-Qaida was behind the failed suicide bomb attack on the British ambassador to Yemen, says Channel 4 News Foreign Correspondent Jonathan Rugman.
A suspected suicide bomber detonated the device as Tim Torlot, 52, travelled to work in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a.
The ambassador was uninjured in the attack. Sources in Yemen said Mr Torlot’s armoured car had been targeted while travelling through a neighbourhood in the eastern part of the city known to be popular with militants.
It is believed the attacker, a young man apparently dressed in sports gear, was wearing an explosives belt and that he was killed in the blast.
Three people were injured in the attack, two were security officials travelling in a police car escorting the ambassador’s car.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We can confirm that there was an incident in Sana’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 embassy will remain closed to the public for the time being.
Spokesmen for the US, German and French embassies said they were still open to the public. Yemen has for years been battling al Qaeda and other militant groups.
The regional wing of the militant group, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), is based in Yemen and has previously threatened and attacked embassies.
Sixteen people were killed in September 2008 when two suicide bombers set off a series of explosions outside the US embassy.
AQAP also claimed responsibility for an attempt to blow up a plane heading for Detroit in December.
Channel 4 News Foreign Correspondent Jonathan Rugman:
"The embassy is an obvious target. It is a modern building sitting on the top of a hill, surrounded by scrubland. There is one main road connecting it to downtown Sanaa, and the building briefly closed in January after intelligence suggested an attack was imminent. Though the constant presence of armed security guards on the embassy roof may have deterred attackers from a direct assault."
Jonathan Rugman said: "The evidence so far suggests Torlot's car was a deliberate al-Qaida target, and the attack may be a sign of Britain's increased profile in Yemen in the last few months. In February, London convened a meeting of senior officials, including the US secretary of state, to discuss Yemen's future, in the wake of revelations that the Detroit plane bombing suspect, Omar Farouk Abdulmutallab, had been trained in Yemen."