Serbia Raises Terror Alert After Police Kill Knife Attacker at Israeli Embassy
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic described the Wednesday incident as a terrorist act, noting the assailant was a minor from Sabac who had been monitored by security agencies.
By John Laurent ·
Serbian police killed a minor who attacked a gendarme outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade just after midnight on Wednesday. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic stated that authorities are treating the incident as a terrorist attack. In response, the ministry raised the national terror threat level to its highest category and increased police patrols at key locations.
Dacic said the attacker carried two knives and shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the assault. The gendarme, a member of an elite unit, sustained slight facial wounds. The officer killed the assailant in self-defense. Police photos released from the scene show the guard booth and the perimeter sealed with tape while officers in full gear monitor the area.
The minister identified the attacker as a resident of Sabac, a town in western Serbia. He noted that security agencies had been monitoring the young man before the attack. Dacic cited the attacker’s Instagram account, where he displayed the black flag of the Islamic State group, as a factor in the surveillance.
The violence occurred in the days following a pivotal parliamentary election in Serbia. On Sunday, the youth-led opposition defeated long-ruling former President Aleksandar Vucic after nearly two years of protests. Despite the electoral defeat, Vucic’s allies retain control of the police force because a new government has not yet been formed.
Regional tensions were also present in the political calendar. Israel held its own parliamentary vote on Tuesday. Exit polls indicated the election produced no clear winner. The timing places both nations in a period of political uncertainty.
The embassy is located in an upscale district of Belgrade, near the U.S. Embassy. It is protected by an elite police unit whose officers are armed with automatic weapons. Serbia has maintained close diplomatic relations with Israel. A similar incident occurred in June 2024, when a crossbow-wielding attacker wounded a police officer guarding the same building. The officer shot and killed that assailant.
The attacker’s death closes the immediate incident, but the highest terror alert remains in effect. Police continue to secure the embassy perimeter while the new government formation process moves forward in Belgrade.
Source: KSAT-TV
