Officials say suspects had terrorist ties

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Three of the four men charged with planning an attack against a Danish newspaper are thought to be connected to international terrorists, officials said.

The three were remanded into custody after appearing in court in Copenhagen Thursday, CNN reported.

The fourth man, a 26-year-old Iraqi national, was released after being charged with the same offense. He is suspected of arranging housing for the other three. They were all arrested Wednesday.

Officials said the men planned to attack the Danish daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which published controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed in 2005.

Denmark's intelligence agency said the three men remanded into custody are believed to be "connected to international terrorists."

A fifth suspect, a Swedish citizen of Tunisian origin, was arrested in Stockholm.

"Our assessment is that their plan was to try to get access to the Jyllands-Posten building and carry out a Mumbai-style attack," said the head of Denmark's intelligence service, Jakob Scharf.

Scharf described the suspects as militant Islamists.

Pakistani terrorists launched gun attacks on hotels and other targets in the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008, killing more than 170 people.