Knife Attack Wounds Guard as Serbian Police Shoot Dead Assailant Near Israeli Embassy

Attack outside the embassy

The attacker struck a police guard outside Israel’s Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital, with knives. The officer suffered minor wounds before shooting the assailant, according to Interior Minister Ivica Dacic.

Dacic said the guard acted in self-defense. He also said the attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar,” meaning “God is great” in Arabic.

Authorities raise security alert

Police are treating the incident as terrorism, Dacic said, and raised the threat level to the highest, known as red alert. He said the decision would bring stricter security checks and more police at sensitive locations.

Those locations include infrastructure facilities and places where large groups gather, according to Dacic. Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed an attempted terrorist attack near the embassy and said the matter was under investigation.

Minister describes attacker

Dacic described the attacker as a minor and said security agencies had monitored him as a supporter of the Islamic State terrorist organization. The minister said the suspect was believed to be from Sabac, in western Serbia.

According to Dacic, the attacker’s Instagram account displayed the Islamic State’s black flag. The article gives no further details about the ongoing investigation.

Earlier attack at same site

The latest incident followed a June 2024 attack at the same embassy, when a crossbow-wielding assailant seriously injured a Serbian police officer. Police shot and killed that attacker.