Yemeni court sentences al-Qaida militant to death over intelligence headquarters bombing

SANAA, Yemen – Judicial officials in Yemen say a state security court has sentenced an al-Qaida militant to death over the bombing of an intelligence headquarters in the country's south that killed a dozen soldiers in 2010.

The court headed by Judge Helal Mahfal convicted Ahmed Qadri of belonging to Yemen's al-Qaida branch and taking part in the bombing in the country's second-largest city, Aden.

The officials also said the judge convicted and sentenced another nine alleged al-Qaida militants to up to 10 years in prison for a failed assassination attempt targeting President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi earlier this year.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to brief reporters.

Yemen has been battling with al-Qaida militants from one of the most active branches in the world.