Man shouting 'Allahu Akbar' killed after attacking Serbian police officer near Israeli embassy
Serbian authorities are investigating the incident as a terrorist attack and have raised the national terror threat level.
A man armed with two knives was killed after attacking a police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade on Wednesday, Serbian officials said. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic stated that police are treating the incident as a terrorist attack and have elevated the national terror threat to its highest level, increasing police presence at critical locations.
Dacic reported that the assailant was a minor and shouted "Allahu Akbar," meaning "God is great" in Arabic, as he attacked the officer. The officer, who sustained a minor facial wound, killed the attacker in self-defense shortly after midnight. Police released images showing the guard booth outside the embassy and a cordoned-off area with uniformed officers present.
Authorities believe the attacker, who reportedly displayed an Islamic State flag on his Instagram account, hailed from the western Serbian town of Sabac. Security agencies had reportedly been monitoring the individual.
This incident follows a pattern of attacks targeting the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade. In June 2024, an individual armed with a crossbow injured a Serbian police officer guarding the embassy before being fatally shot by a guard.
The attack occurred days after Serbia held early parliamentary elections on Sunday, where long-serving President Aleksandar Vucic's party faced defeat. Vucic and his allies continue to control the police forces as a new government has yet to be formed.
Israel also conducted its parliamentary elections on Tuesday, with exit polls indicating no clear victor.