London, Jan. 2 : Danish Police have confirmed shooting and injuring an al Qaeda-linked man armed with an axe who broke into the home of a controversial cartoonist Kurt Westergaard to kill him.

According to Sky News, police said the 28-year-old Somali man was trying to kill Westergaard, who triggered worldwide protests after drawing cartoons of Islam''s Prophet Mohammed.

The intruder was linked to Somali terror organisation al Shabaab and al Qaeda leaders in east Africa, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service PET said in a statement. The intruder was shot twice and is being held in custody.

Lotte Mejlhede, of TV2, told Sky News that Westergaard, 74, fled to a safe room at his Aarhus home after spotting the would-be attacker.

"He pressed his panic alarm button because a 28-year-old Somalian was trying to break into his house and actually got into the house. He had a knife and axe and was trying to attack him. Mr Westergaard went to a safe room in his house. This man tried to escape and attacked the police," said Mejlhede.

Westergaard''s five-year-old grandson was also with him at the time of the incident.

The Danish cartoonist caused fury in the Islamic world four years ago after a Danish newspaper published his drawings of Mohammed wearing a turban in the shape of a bomb. There were violent protests in many Islamic countries that lead to dozens of deaths in Nigeria, Libya and Pakistan.

Demonstrators burned Danish flags in protests that culminated in February 2006 with the torching of Danish diplomatic offices in Damascus and Beirut.

Westergaard received several death threats.

Most Muslims consider any depiction of the founder of Islam as offensive. (ANI)