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Security police claim terrorist groups could be bound for Denmark

Nov 23, 2010, 13:04 GMT

Copenhagen - Danish security police said Tuesday there were indications that foreign terrorist groups were planning attacks in the Scandinavian country.

The terror alert level was not raised but remained 'serious,' the security intelligence service PET said.

Potential targets were 'people and places' linked to the reprinting of the so-called Mohammed cartoons in 2008, PET head Jakob Scharf said in a statement.

Danish newspapers at the time reprinted the drawings after an alleged plot was uncovered against the cartoonist, Kurt Westergaard. He has been targeted over his depiction of the Prophet Mohammed wearing a bomb in his turban.

Westergaard's cartoon was one of 12 images published in 2005 by Danish daily Jyllands-Posten. The cartoons outraged many Muslims and sparked violent protests worldwide in early 2006.

Early this year, a Somali man, armed with an axe and knife, stormed into Westergaard's home but was arrested by police.

Citing the terror threats against Denmark and other parts of Europe, PET said Danish police have been advised to be on the alert until end of December.

PET declined to state if any arrests had been made or offer details of any specific groups alleged to be planning attacks.

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