Assailant Killed After Attacking Guard Outside Israeli Embassy in Belgrade

Serbian police reported that an assailant attacked a guard with knives outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade and was killed shortly after midnight on Wednesday. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic stated that authorities are treating the incident as a "terrorist attack" and have elevated the national terror threat to the highest level, increasing police patrols at critical sites.

Dacic explained that the attacker, whose identity was not immediately released, was shouting "Allahu Akbar" when he attacked the Gendarmerie officer with two knives. The officer, acting in self-defense, neutralized the assailant and sustained minor injuries.

According to Dacic, Serbia's security agencies had been monitoring the attacker, whom he identified as a supporter of the Islamic State group. Dacic noted that the attacker displayed a black flag associated with the Islamic State on his Instagram account.

This incident follows recent political shifts in Serbia. The country held a parliamentary election on Sunday, resulting in the defeat of long-serving former President Aleksandar Vucic by a youth-led movement, though Vucic's allies still hold sway over the police as a new government has yet to be formed. Israel also held its parliamentary vote on Tuesday, with exit polls indicating no clear winner.

This is not the first such incident at the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade. In June 2024, an attacker armed with a crossbow injured a Serbian police officer guarding the embassy before being shot and killed by a guard.