Serbian police have shot dead an attacker who allegedly assaulted a security officer with two knives outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, prompting authorities to raise the country’s terrorism alert to its highest level.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Wednesday, according to Serbian officials, who described the attack as a suspected act of terrorism.
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said the unidentified suspect, believed to be a minor, attacked a member of the police Gendarmerie while shouting “Allahu Akbar”.
According to the minister, the officer sustained a minor wound to the face during the confrontation before drawing his service weapon and fatally shooting the assailant in self-defence.
Dacic disclosed that Serbian security agencies had previously monitored the suspect, whom he described as a supporter of the Islamic State extremist group. He also claimed that the suspect’s Instagram profile displayed the group’s black flag and emblem.
Following the incident, the government raised the country’s security threat level to red alert, the highest category, while additional security measures were introduced at sensitive locations.
The measures include tighter security checks and increased police deployment around critical infrastructure and places where large crowds gather.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that no embassy personnel were injured in the incident. The diplomatic mission was closed at the time, and investigations into the attack are ongoing.
The incident has revived concerns about security around the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, which was targeted in a separate attack in June 2024. During that incident, a man armed with a crossbow wounded a police officer guarding the facility before being shot dead.
Serbian authorities are continuing investigations into the latest incident as security agencies work to establish the suspect’s identity and determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.
