The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) has reported an upsurge in the threat of terrorism in Denmark and against Danish interests abroad, fueled by the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and multiple Quran burnings that took place in Denmark back in 2023.
In the agency’s assessment report, the overall terrorist threat in Denmark was rated “significant”. The PET notes that the Israel-Hamas conflict and anti-Islam activities have intensified within the currently established level of threat. They further noted that the situation holds substantial potential for sparking radicalization, which might lead to spontaneous or premeditated reactions, including terrorist attacks within Denmark.
The intelligence agency broke down the threats into six categories. While the threat from militant Islamists remained “significant”, threats from right-wing extremists, anti-establishment extremists, and left-wing extremists were classified as “general”, “limited” and “minimal”, respectively. The PET also acknowledged threats from high technologies such as AI and quantum technology but stated that it was too early to comment on their specific impacts.
The agency also discerned that threats from militant Islamists held the most significant risk. The sequence of Quran desecrations in 2023 rekindled the perception of Denmark as a prioritized target among militant Islamist groups.
The makeup of the most probable militant Islamist terrorist attack in Denmark, according to the PET, is likely to be a solo actor or small group, potentially inspired by Islamic State or al-Qaida, using commonly available weapons such as bladed weapons or vehicles, firearms, and improvised explosive devices.
The intelligence service emphasized an attack in Brussels on October 16, 2023, as evidence of similar threats – where a gunman, partly motivated by Quran desecrations in Sweden, killed two Swedish citizens and injured another.
Amid this background, on December 14, 2023, Danish authorities arrested and remanded four individuals in custody under suspicions of plotting a terrorist attack, a case the PET reports was connected to Hamas and an illegal gang.