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THE British Ambassador to Yemen escaped unharmed after an explosion near his car today, the Foreign Office confirmed.
The blast happened as Tim Torlot, 52, travelled to work in the Yemeni capital of Sana'a.

The Foreign Office was unable to confirm reports that a suspected suicide bomber died in the explosion.

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. "We advise all British nationals in Yemen to keep a low profile and remain vigilant. We are working urgently with the Yemen authorities to investigate what happened."

The blast comes after Yemen became a focus of international concern about al-Qaeda activity after the man suspected of attempting to blow up a US-bound airliner on Christmas Day, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was reported to have told FBI investigators that he was supplied with his bomb by al-Qaeda members in Yemen.

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The videos, to be broadcast Monday on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, appear to support Abdulmutallab's statements to the FBI that there are "others like me" who also trained with him in Yemen to carry out attacks against U.S. and western targets.

The tape also includes an apparent martyrdom statement in Arabic from the 23-year old Nigerian justifying his actions against "the Jews and the Christians and their agents." He says, "the enemy is in your lands with their armies, the Jews and the Christians and their agents." He reads several passages from the Koran and adds, "God said those who punish you must be punished."

Abdulmutallab was arrested on Christmas Day in Detroit after he allegedly attempted to set off a bomb on a Northwest Airlines jet. He has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges but U.S. authorities say he is now cooperating in the investigation.