An explosion near the convoy of the British ambassador to Yemen today killed one person, believed to be a suicide bomber, but the envoy was unharmed, a security source and British officials said.
Ambassador Tim Torlot was on his way to the embassy when his motorcade was attacked.
Three people were wounded, another security source said. Two were security officials in a police car escorting the ambassador. The third was a bystander.
Britain's Foreign Office confirmed that a small explosion took place beside the ambassador's car. He was unhurt and no other embassy staff were injured, it said in a statement. The embassy will be closed to the public indefinitely.
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 attacked embassies.
In September 2008, two suicide bombers set off a series of explosions outside the heavily fortified US embassy in Sanaa, killing 16 people. The attack was claimed by a group called Islamic Jihad in Yemen, which analysts said was linked to al-Qaeda.
AQAP most recently claimed a bomb attempt on a US-bound plane in December.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for today's explosion.
Theodore Karasik of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis said he assumed the attack was carried out by al-Qaeda and was a reminder the group was still active in Yemen. "I think this shows al-Qaeda is not disappearing and it has been plotting and planning attacks in Yemen and abroad and I think this is a new campaign of targeted assassinations," he said.
The Yemeni authorities were investigating the area of the blast which has been cordoned off, security sources said.
A spokesman for the USembassy said it was still open to the public. The German embassy was also open for business, a spokesman said, while a staff member at the French embassy said they also remained open.
The British Foreign Office said it was advising all British nationals in Yemen to keep a low profile and remain vigilant.
Reuters