Danish cartoonist who drew Prophet Muhammad caricature dies at 86

Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who drew a controversial caricature of Prophet Mohammad, has died at the age of 86. The illustrator, whose drawing sparked outrage around the Muslim world, passed away after a long period of ill health, his family said.

The cartoonist was behind 12 drawings published by conservative daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten under the headline “The Face of Mohammad”, one of which sparked particular anger as it showed the Prophet wearing a turban in the shape of a bomb.

During the last years of his life Westergaard, like a number of others associated with the cartoons, had to live under police protection at a secret address.

In 2015, 12 people were killed in an attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly in Paris, which had reprinted the cartoons in 2012.