Suspicion of terrorism in Serbia: attack on police officers in front of the Israeli embassy

dpa | A suspected underage Serb attacked and injured a police officer in front of the Israeli embassy in Belgrade with two knives. The officer guarding the embassy building shot the attacker with his service weapon in self-defense, Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said on state television RTS.

The attacker said “Allahu akbar!” (Arabic for “God is great”). Dačić described the attack, which occurred shortly after midnight, as an act of terrorism. He added that he had declared the highest terror alert level for the country. The attacker came from the western Serbian city of Šabac and was known to the authorities as a supporter of the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS). The incident remains under investigation.

In June 2024, a Serb who had converted to Islam shot a Serbian security guard in front of the Israeli embassy in Belgrade with a crossbow. The police officer, who was hit in the neck by the arrow, returned the attack with his firearm, fatally wounding the assassin. The security guard was injured in the attack and had to be operated on in hospital.