Prophet Muhammad cartoonist Lars Vilks dies in car crash

STOCKHOLM: Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, known for his derogatory depiction of Prophet Muhammad, died in a car accident Sunday, Anadolu Agency reported, quoting local media.

Two police officers who had been assigned to protect him were also killed in the crash, the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter reported.

The car carrying Vilks and the officers collided with a truck and both vehicles caught fire, Sweden's public broadcaster SVT reported.

The truck driver was injured.

Vilks had been living under police protection since the controversial 2007 sketch due to death threats.

Police said they have launched an investigation into the incident.

In 2007, Sweden's local newspaper Nerikes Allehanda published Vilks' cartoon insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Since then, he had been living in a secret location with police guards.

-- BERNAMA