British envoy escapes unhurt in Yemeni suicide bombing

SANA’A/LONDON - Britain’s ambassador to Yemen escaped unhurt from a suicide bombing near his convoy in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a Monday in what officials believe was an attack by Al Qaeda.

The blast happened as Tim Torlot drove to work in his armoured car, escorted by a police vehicle, through the eastern part of the city, known to be popular with militants.

Yemen’s Interior Ministry blamed Al Qaeda for the attack.

“The failed terrorist operation that targeted the British ambassador in Sana’a bears the hallmarks of Al Qaeda,” the ministry said in a statement on its website.

In Britain, government officials made clear that they too, believed that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was to blame for the attack, fuelling heightened security fears for Westerners.

Sana’a had so far been seen as “relatively safe”, but this was now no longer the case, said one security expert. He said it was clear that Torlot had been “saved by his armoured car”.

The Interior Ministry in Sana’a identified the attacker as 22-year-old Othman Ali al-Solwi, adding that he was a high school student and was originally from the southern province of Taiz.

It said he had received training for suicide attacks in the north-central province of Marib, a stronghold for Al Qaeda and other Jihadi groups.

The Foreign Office in London confirmed the explosion. “There was a small explosion beside the British Ambassador’s car. He was unhurt. The embassy will remain closed to the public for the time being,” a spokesman said.

Police officials at the scene said the bomber detonated his explosives as Torlot’s convoy went by, killing himself and injuring three bystanders - two men and a woman. The three were rushed to a nearby hospital.

They told DPA that the attacker, a young man apparently dressed in a school uniform to disguise himself, detonated an explosive belt near the convoy.

Body parts were being picked up by police officers and put into plastic bags nearly 100 metres from blast site.

This is the first attack on a foreign target in Yemen since the Dec 25 attempt by a Nigerian man to blow up a passenger plane over Detroit for which Yemen’s Al Qaeda branch claimed responsibility.