Ambassador Timothy Torlot unhurt, said a spokeswoman for the British embassy Chantel Mortimer, but the attack underscored the precarious security in the country.
Yemen, an impoverished nation in southern the Arabian peninsula, has become in recent years a haven for al-Qaida militants to the limited government presence outside the major cities and tribal control in the rest of the country.
Yemeni officials said the vehicle was passing through a poor neighborhood in the east of Sanaa when the explosion occurred near vehicle.
reported that the attack was apparently committed by a person detonated an explosive belt and died in the blast. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but had the hallmark of al-Qaida.
Witnesses said the attacker was a young man wearing a school uniform, apparently as a disguise. Authorities said the attack in the neighborhood is popular among the militants.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they had no permission to speak to the media.
The British Foreign Ministry said the embassy was closed to the public and advised all Britons in Yemen to “keep a low profile and stay alert.”
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The Associated Press reporter Jennifer Quinn in London contributed to this report.