Serbian Police Shoot Dead Attacker Outside Israeli Embassy in Belgrade
A police officer was wounded after a knife‑wielding assailant shouted “Allahu Akbar” and was then shot dead by the officer.
Whoa! In the early hours of Wednesday, Serbian police opened fire on a young man outside the Israeli embassy in Belgrade, killing him after a violent confrontation.
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told reporters the attacker charged a police officer while shouting “Allahu Akbar” and brandished two knives. The officer received a minor knife wound to the face before shooting the assailant.
Dacic said the suspect has not yet been identified by name, but confirmed he was a minor Serbian citizen who had been monitored because he was “known to be a supporter of the Islamic State.” Security services noted the suspect had posted an image of the Islamic State flag on Instagram.
Following the incident, Dacic raised Serbia’s terrorism threat level to “red alert,” the highest setting, prompting stricter security checks and a greater police presence at critical infrastructure and crowd‑gathering sites.
The injured officer was visited by the interior minister and is reported to be doing well, not requiring hospital care.
Armed security personnel were observed standing guard outside the embassy on Wednesday morning.
Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed via social media that no embassy staff were injured and that the mission was closed at the time of the attack.
This episode marks the second assault on Belgrade’s Israeli embassy in under three years; in June 2024 a man shot a police officer in the neck with a crossbow.
The crossbow attacker was also identified as a Serbian man who had converted to Islam, and the officer survived that attack as well.
The Wednesday attack occurred one day after elections in Israel.
Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing.
