An improvised explosive device went off Saturday afternoon in the Maldivian capital of Male and injured twelve tourists, reports said.

The bomb exploded near the capital’s main mosque located at the entrance of Sultan Park. Two British nationals, eight Chinese and two Japanese sustained injuries when the blast occurred.

The Japanese and Chinese citizens were lightly injured and weren’t hospitalized, but the two Britons suffered extensive burns and received supplementary treatment, officials said.

No one claimed responsibility for the unprecedented attack. The mosque is visited by large groups of tourists daily and is close to the Maldives Army headquarters.

Preliminary reports said the improvised explosive device consisted of a mobile phone and a motor attached to a gas cylinder. A witness reportedly saw some nails scattered after the explosion.

The Indian Ocean island nation is a very popular tourist destination, drawing more than 500,000 tourists per year. This is the first incident to shatter the tranquility of the capital since 1998 and the first bomb to go off in the Maldives.

For nearly 29 years the island nation has been steered by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who claimed another victory in last month’s referendum for a new constitutional system.

Most of the voters chose the presidential system of government in the detriment of a parliamentary one and anchored the leadership of Gayoom.