Authorities: 8 terror suspects with al-Qaida links arrested in Denmark

Danish intelligence agents early Tuesday arrested eight alleged Islamic militants with links to leading al-Qaida figures, and said the suspects were plotting an attack involving explosives.\n“An act of terror has been prevented with the nighttime arrests,” said Justice Minister Lene Espersen.\nJakob Scharf, head of the PET intelligence service, did not identify the target of the plot, but said the suspects – six Danish citizens and two foreigners with residence permits – had been under surveillance for some time.\nHe identified them as “militant Islamists with connections to leading al-Qaida persons.”\nTerrorists have not hit Denmark in more than two decades, but the July 2005 bombings in London stirred fears that the Scandinavian country could be targeted for its participation in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.\nThose fears grew after a Danish newspaper published 12 cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, triggering fiery protests in Muslim countries in early 2006. Many Muslims considered the drawings blasphemous.\nScharf said the planned attack did not appear linked to the cartoons or Denmark’s involvement in Iraq.\nThe suspects arrested Tuesday, ages 19 to 29, were not identified. All eight were arrested without incident in raids on 11 locations in and around Copenhagen, authorities said.\nThe suspects are of Afghan, Pakistani, Somali and Turkish origin, Scharf told reporters. He said Danish investigators had worked with “several foreign cooperation partners” before making the arrests.\nThe TV2 News channel reported that a 19-year-old electrician was arrested in suburban Ishoj, while a taxi driver in his early 20s was arrested in Copenhagen’s Noerrebro district. TV footage shot from a helicopter showed bomb squads and forensics agents at those locations.