Yemen sentenced to death an al Qaeda bomb maker on Monday who told the judge the "demise" of the country was in the hands of militants whose southern hideouts are being targeted by air raids.  

Saleh al-Shawish was arrested in January and prosecutors said he specialized in explosives while training with jihadist militants in Afghanistan.

Yemen is trying to quell a resurgent branch of al Qaeda in the country, which has increased its attacks on both Western and government targets in the Arabian Peninsula state, neighbor to top oil exporter Saudi Arabia.

Shawish confessed to his involvement in al Qaeda during the court sessions, the judge said in his sentencing, including attacks on oil installations, military bases and checkpoints.

His indictment said he specialized in building bombs and preparing suicide bombers.

"He belonged to al Qaeda and caused the death of a number of innocent people and damaged Yemen's status and its economic interests," the judge said. "The punishment for this is the death penalty."

Shawish, from Yemen's eastern province of Hadramout, rejected an appeal and told the judge: "God willing your demise is in our hands, starting in Abyan."