Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who stirred worldwide controversy in 2007 with drawings depicting the Prophet Mohammad, SAW, with the body of a dog, has died in a car crash near the southern town of Markaryd on Sunday.
The Reuters quoted Swedish police as confirming the death in a statement on Monday.
“This is a very tragic incident. It is now important to all of us that we do everything we can to investigate what happened and what caused the collision.
“Initially, there is nothing that points to anyone else being involved,” the police said.
“The person we were protecting and two colleagues died in this inconceivable and terribly sad tragedy,” said regional police head Carina Persson,” the police statement read.
Mr Vilks’s artwork was condemned by several persons who consider his depictions of the Muslim prophet deeply offensive or blasphemous.
The depiction also sparked diplomatic friction, with Sweden’s then prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt meeting ambassadors from several Muslim countries to ease tensions.
