Serbian Officer Kills Knife Attacker Outside Israeli Embassy in Belgrade

A knife-wielding assailant was shot dead by a police officer early Wednesday outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade after launching a sudden assault that left the guard with minor injuries.

The confrontation occurred shortly after midnight, when the unidentified suspect rushed the diplomatic post carrying two blades and shouting religious phrases.

Officials elevated the national terrorism threat level to red following the violence, deploying additional forces to sensitive locations across the country.

“A minor whose identity has yet to be established... attacked a member of the police with two knives while shouting 'Allahu Akbar',” said Ivica Dacic, Serbia's interior minister.

Dacic said the assailant was believed to be a young citizen from the western town of Sabac who had been under surveillance by intelligence personnel.

“He kept the black flag in support of the Islamic State on his Instagram account,” Dacic said.

The guard, identified in prosecution documents by the initials D.S., sustained a facial injury when one of the blades struck his cheek during the struggle.

The wounded officer then drew his service weapon and fired several rounds, killing the attacker at the scene in an act classified by investigators as self-defense.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that no embassy personnel were hurt during the incident because the diplomatic mission was closed at the time.

A similar assault occurred at the same location in June 2024, when an individual armed with a crossbow wounded a guard before being killed by return fire.

The latest violence follows recent parliamentary elections held in both Serbia and Israel, which altered the political landscape while caretaker administrations remained active.

Investigators continue to examine the background of the attacker and verify his identity as security forces maintain heightened patrols around public infrastructure.