Knife Attack at Israeli Embassy Triggers Serbian Red Alert

A young Serbian citizen was shot dead by police outside the Israeli embassy in Belgrade in the early hours of Wednesday after allegedly attacking an officer with two knives. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said the suspect rushed the officer while shouting “Allahu Akbar.” The officer suffered a minor wound to the face and shot the attacker; he was later reported to be doing well and did not need hospital treatment. Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect. Dacic said he was a minor and was being monitored by security services because he was known as a supporter of the Islamic State. Security services also said the suspect had posted an image of the group’s flag on Instagram. An investigation is under way, and Dacic raised Serbia’s terrorism threat level to red alert, the country’s highest. The change brings stricter security checks and a greater police presence at infrastructure sites and places where crowds gather. Armed personnel were seen guarding the embassy on Wednesday morning. Israel’s foreign ministry said no embassy staff were injured and that the mission was closed when the incident occurred. The article notes that this was the second attack on the Israeli embassy in Belgrade in less than three years. In June 2024, a man used a crossbow to shoot a police officer in the neck outside the embassy. The officer survived and killed the attacker, a Serbian man who had converted to Islam. Wednesday’s attack took place one day after elections in Israel.

A knife-wielding assailant attacked a police guard outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade overnight to Wednesday, slightly wounding him before the guard shot and killed the attacker, Serbia’s interior minister, Ivica Dacic, said. Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that an attempted terrorist attack had taken place near the embassy and said no embassy personnel were injured. The incident was under investigation. Dacic described the attacker as a minor who had been monitored by security agencies because of alleged support for the Islamic State (IS). He said the assailant was believed to be from Sabac in western Serbia, displayed an IS-supporting black flag on Instagram, and shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attack. Authorities said the guard acted in self-defense and were treating the incident as terrorism. Serbia raised its terrorism threat level to its highest setting, or red alert, bringing tighter security checks and more police at sensitive locations, infrastructure sites, and places where crowds gather. The attack occurred days after a Serbian early parliamentary election and a day after Israel’s parliamentary vote, whose outcome was still unclear at the time of the report. The article also recalls a previous attack at the same embassy in June 2024, when a crossbow-wielding attacker seriously wounded a Serbian police officer before being shot dead. That attacker was identified as a 25-year-old Islamic convert from a village near Belgrade who had become radicalized.

A minor armed with two knives attacked a Serbian Gendarmerie officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade shortly after midnight on Wednesday. Serbian authorities said the attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar” and slashed the officer in the face, causing a slight injury. The officer, identified in prosecutors’ statements as D.S., retrieved his service weapon and fired multiple rounds, killing the attacker at the scene. No embassy personnel were injured, and the mission was closed at the time. Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said officials are treating the incident as a terrorist attack. He stated that security forces had been monitoring the attacker, who allegedly supported ISIS and had displayed a black flag bearing the group’s symbol on Instagram. Dacic said the attacker was believed to be Serbian and from the town of Sabac. Prosecutors described how a person dressed in black entered the security booth area at about 12:15 a.m., approached the officer, and threw a knife that struck the officer’s left cheek. Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed what it called an attempted terrorist attack and said local police had neutralized the attacker while relevant authorities investigated. Following the incident, Serbia raised its terrorism threat level to the highest level and increased police presence at sensitive locations and crowded public spaces. The attack follows a similar incident in June 2024, when a crossbow-wielding attacker wounded a Serbian officer guarding the same embassy before being shot and killed. The article also notes that the latest attack occurred a day after Israel’s parliamentary elections, in which exit polls indicated no clear winner.

A knife-wielding minor attacked a Serbian Gendarmerie officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade shortly after midnight Wednesday. The attacker reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” and struck the officer’s left cheek with a knife after charging into the guard booth. The officer, identified by initials D.S., fired several shots and killed the attacker. The officer was slightly wounded, and no embassy personnel were injured; the embassy was closed at the time. Serbia’s Interior Minister, Ivica Dacic, said authorities were treating the incident as a terrorist attack, raising the national terror threat to its highest level and increasing security at key locations. Serbian security agencies had reportedly been monitoring the attacker, who was believed to be from Sabac and to support the Islamic State group. Dacic said the attacker displayed the group’s black flag on Instagram. Serbian prosecutors described the sequence of events, while Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed an attempted terrorist attack and said Serbian authorities were investigating. The attack occurred amid political transitions in both countries. Serbia had recently held an early parliamentary election following nearly two years of protests against former President Aleksandar Vucic; although a youth-led movement defeated him, Vucic’s allies still control the police while a new government is being formed. Israel held a parliamentary vote on Tuesday, with exit polls indicating no clear winner. The article also notes a similar incident in June 2024, when a crossbow attacker wounded a Serbian officer guarding the embassy before being shot and killed. The Israeli Embassy is in an upscale Belgrade district near the U.S. Embassy and is protected by an elite police unit.