Knife-wielding minor attacks guard at Israeli embassy in Belgrade, is shot dead
Serbian interior ministry calls incident ‘terror attack,’ says assailant had Islamic State flag on Instagram account, shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ during assault
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Serbian police said on Wednesday that an unidentified assailant attacked a guard with knives outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade and was killed just after midnight.
Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said that police were treating the incident as a “terrorist attack” and had raised the terror threat to the highest level and stepped up police presence at key locations.
Dacic said that “a minor, so far unidentified… shouting Allahu Akbar, attacked the member of Gendarmerie and attacked him with two knives.” He added that the police officer “liquidated” the assailant in “self-defense” and was lightly wounded.
Dacic said that Serbia’s security agencies had been monitoring the attacker, who he said was a supporter of the Islamic State group. Dacic said that “he kept the black flag in support of the Islamic State on his Instagram” account.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said, “No embassy staff members were injured. The embassy was closed at the time, during the nighttime hours. The incident is under investigation by the relevant authorities.”
Wednesday’s attack came after Serbia held a key early parliamentary election on Sunday in which long-ruling former President Aleksandar Vucic was defeated by a youth-led movement after almost two years of protests against him. But Vucic and his allies still control the police as the new government is yet to be formed.
Under his rule, Serbia has become one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe, though it is not in the European Union or NATO. In August, he inaugurated an assembly factory for Israel-made drones in the Balkan country to boost its military.
In April, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić announced during a meeting in Jerusalem steps toward a free trade agreement and the launch of a new strategic dialogue.
Israel also held its parliamentary vote Tuesday, which exit polls said produced no clear winner.
In June 2024, an attacker with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade. The assailant was shot and killed by a guard.
The Times of Israel Community.