Serbian authorities say Wahhabi-link suspected in crossbow attack on Israeli embassy

Serbian authorities say some arrests have been made and a number of people known to the security services are suspected of being linked to a crossbow attack on Israel’s embassy in Belgrade.

The officer “used a weapon in self-defense and defeated the attacker, who died as a result of his injuries,” says Interior Minister Ivica Dacic.

He says the incident happened at around 11:00 a.m. local time in the Serbian capital, when an “unknown person… shot a member of the gendarmerie, who was on duty securing the Israeli embassy, from a crossbow and hit him in the neck.”

The officer, who has undergone surgery in hospital, was in his guard booth when the attack happened.

Dacic tells reporters later that there are early indications connecting the attack with people suspected of being linked to the Wahhabi movement — an ultra-conservative branch of Islam that dominates in Saudi Arabia.

“Some suspicions are already present that we are talking about persons already known to the security services, and we are talking about the Wahhabi movement,” Dacic says.

He says several people have been arrested for “prevention reasons” and that overall security had been stepped up in Belgrade.

Special prosecutors have taken over the case, adds Dacic.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.