( CNN ) -- A suicide bomber attacked police officers and cadets outside an academy in Yemen 's capital on Wednesday , killing at least 10 people , according to a statement from the Yemeni Embassy in Washington . The bomber died after being taken to a hospital , the release said . The blast happened around 1:30 p.m. at the police academy in downtown Sanaa , four Interior Ministry officials said . At least 19 people were wounded , four of them critically , the embassy said . `` Yemen will counter the evil of terrorism with honor and bravery , '' Adel Al-Suneini , charge d'affaires for the embassy , said in the statement . `` Al Qaeda today is not only facing the military and security services but also the fury of the Yemeni public . '' Officials in Yemen said the blast bears the hallmarks of an attack by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula . A Yemeni government official told CNN that the suicide bomber attacked as a crowd of people was leaving through the academy 's main gate . `` This is as cowardly as it gets . These are cadets , not soldiers , not fighters , '' said the official , who requested anonymity . The attack signals that al Qaeda is trying to demoralize the police force and scare people from joining the security forces , the official said . `` But it 's a miscalculation . This will actually encourage society , which has been cooperating with the government , to fight al Qaeda more , '' the official said . Wednesday 's attack happened about 1Â½ miles from the site of a blast in May that appeared to be the deadliest attack ever on troops in Yemen . An affiliate of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for that explosion , which killed at least 101 soldiers and injured more than 220 as troops prepared for a national ceremony .
NEW : Blast appeared to be work of a suicide bomber , who died at a hospital , official says . NEW : A second blast occurred in the same area around an hour later and killed one person. Bombing targeted cadets in Sanaa , the capital of Yemen . At least 19 people also wounded , embassy official says .