Serbia Sets Highest Threat Level After Embassy Attack

A knife-wielding attacker assaulted a gendarme guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade and died just after midnight on Wednesday, Serbian police announced. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed that the officer, who suffered minor facial injuries, shot the assailant in self-defense.

Dacic stated that authorities are classifying the incident as a terrorist attack. In response, the government raised the national terror threat to its maximum level and increased police patrols at strategic sites across the capital.

The attacker was a minor from the town of Sabac in western Serbia. Dacic noted that the young man carried two knives and shouted Allahu Akbar during the confrontation. Security agencies had been monitoring the individual, who identified as a supporter of the Islamic State group. Dacic added that the attacker displayed the group's black flag on his Instagram account.

Police tape sealed off the area near the guard's booth outside the embassy. Officers in full tactical gear maintained a perimeter at the scene.

The assault occurred shortly after Serbian voters rejected Aleksandar Vucic in a parliamentary election held on Sunday. A youth-led movement defeated the long-ruling leader following two years of protests. Vucic's allies retain control of the police force while the new government is being formed. Israel also held a parliamentary vote on Tuesday, with exit polls indicating no clear winner.

This is the second time in less than three years that an attacker has targeted a guard at the Israeli Embassy. In June 2024, a man using a crossbow wounded a police officer at the same location before being shot and killed.

The embassy sits in an upscale Belgrade district near the U.S. Embassy. An elite police unit equipped with automatic weapons provides security for the mission. Serbia has maintained close diplomatic relations with Israel.