Police Kill Knife Attacker at Israeli Embassy in Belgrade

Serbian police shot and killed a young man outside the Israeli embassy in Belgrade in the early hours of Wednesday. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic described the incident as a terrorist attack and confirmed that the assailant was a Serbian citizen who had not yet reached the age of majority.

Dacic told reporters that the attacker ran toward a police officer while shouting "Allahu Akbar" and carrying two knives. The officer sustained a minor wound to the face and fired back, killing the suspect. Security services had already been monitoring the individual, who was known to support the Islamic State and had posted an image of the group's flag on Instagram.

In response to the violence, Dacic raised Serbia's terrorism threat level to red alert, the highest ranking on the scale. This designation triggers stricter security checks and increases the police presence at infrastructure facilities and areas where large crowds gather. Armed security personnel were visible standing guard outside the embassy on Wednesday morning.

Dacic visited the wounded officer, who was reported to be doing well and did not require hospital care. The Israeli foreign ministry confirmed in a social media post that no embassy staff were injured and that the mission was closed when the attack occurred.

This is the second attack on the embassy in less than three years. In June 2024, a man shot a police officer in the neck with a crossbow. That officer survived and killed the assailant, who was a Serbian man who had converted to Islam. Wednesday's attack took place one day after elections were held in Israel.