Terrorist attack at the Israeli embassy in Belgrade: attacker killed, Serbia raises terror threat to the highest level

On the night of 28 October, at around 00:15, an unidentified man attacked a Serbian gendarmerie officer guarding the Israeli embassy in Belgrade with two knives.

According to Serbia’s Interior Ministry, the attacker tried to assault the officer while shouting “Allahu akbar”. The gendarme used his service weapon and fatally wounded the assailant.

What is known about the incident:

The attacker is believed to be a minor from the town of Šabac. His identity is still being established.

According to the prosecutor’s office, he threw a knife at the gendarme and wounded him in the left cheek.

The officer sustained a minor injury; his life is not in danger.

None of the Israeli embassy staff were harmed. Serbia’s interior minister in a caretaker capacity, Ivica Dačić classified the incident as a terrorist act.

According to him, the attacker had previously been under surveillance by Serbian security services. The authorities consider him a supporter of the terrorist organisation “Islamic State” (ISIS). According to the Interior Ministry, symbols of the group were posted on his Instagram page.

Serbia has introduced the highest, red level of terrorist threat.

This means a greater police presence near diplomatic missions, strategic infrastructure facilities and places where crowds gather.

The investigation is ongoing.

This is already the second such attack near the Israeli embassy in Belgrade in the past two and a half years. On 29 June 2024, a man armed with a crossbow wounded a gendarme guarding the embassy. On that occasion, too, the attacker was killed by return fire.

Source: Serbskiy Ekonomist, https://t.me/relocationrs/3963