Belgrade: Police officer attacked in front of Israeli embassy in Serbia

A police officer shot and killed a minor in front of the Israeli embassy in Belgrade. The teenager attacked the officer with two knives and injured him slightly. The police officer was guarding the embassy building and shot the attacker with his service weapon in self-defense, said Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić, according to a statement from the ministry.

The attacker shouted “Allahu akbar!” – Arabic for “God is great”. According to Dačić, he was known to the authorities as a sympathizer of the terrorist organization “Islamic State” (IS). A black flag and the IS emblem could be seen in his Instagram profile.

Dačić described the attack, which occurred shortly after midnight, as an “act of terrorism.” According to the ministry, the terror alert level has been raised to the highest level. This means "stricter security checks and an increased police presence in sensitive places, including infrastructure and places where large crowds gather," it said. The incident remains under investigation.

Israel's Foreign Ministry confirmed the incident and said it was an attempted terrorist attack. Embassy employees were not injured and the diplomatic mission was closed at night.

In June 2024, a Serb who had converted to Islam shot a Serbian security guard in front of the Israeli embassy in Belgrade with a crossbow. The police officer, who was hit in the neck by the arrow, returned the attack with his firearm, fatally wounding the assassin. The security guard was injured in the attack and had to be operated on in hospital.