COPENHAGEN (AFP) - Danish officers stormed a church in the capital of Copenhagen on Thursday to arrest 17 refugees who had been illegally squatting there, a police spokesman said.

"We were in the church to get out a number of young asylum seekers," said Copenhagen police spokesman Flemming Munch.

The operation took place between 1:00 am and 4:00 am (2300 GMT Wednesday and 0200 GMT Thursday), he added.

Munch also said "about 300 youngsters" tried to intervene and prevent the police from evacuating the church, five of whom were also arrested.

Munch said the 17 refugees arrested were all men and the majority were from Iraq.

They were then taken to a local police station for questioning to establish their identities and if they had a legal right to remain in Denmark.

The refugees had been hiding out in the Brorson church in the Danish capital's working class district of Nørrebro.