By Salma El-Sakka
Serbian police said an unidentified assailant attacked a guard with knives outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade just after midnight Wednesday and was killed by the officer.
Terror threat raised
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic described the incident as a terrorist attack, raised the terror threat to the highest level, and increased police presence at key locations.
Attacker identified as Islamic State supporter
Dacic said the attacker, a minor, shouted "Allahu Akbar" and wounded the gendarmerie officer lightly before being "liquidated" in self-defense. The assailant was a supporter of the Islamic State group and had displayed its black flag on Instagram.
Previous attack on same embassy
The attack follows a similar incident in June 2024 when a crossbow-wielding assailant wounded a police officer guarding the same embassy and was shot dead.
Political context
The violence comes days after Serbia's parliamentary election in which long-ruling Aleksandar Vucic was defeated, though his allies still control police pending a new government. Israel also held a parliamentary vote Tuesday with no clear winner.
