Knife-wielding minor killed after attacking officer outside Israeli Embassy

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic announced that a minor attacked a member of the elite Gendarmerie unit stationed outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade with two knives just after midnight on Wednesday. The police officer, who suffered slight facial injuries, killed the assailant in self-defense. Dacic stated that authorities are classifying the incident as a terrorist attack.

The attacker was believed to be from the western Serbian town of Sabac. Dacic said the young man shouted Allahu Akbar, meaning God is great, during the confrontation. Security agencies had been monitoring the individual before the attack. Dacic noted that the assailant was a supporter of the Islamic State group and displayed a black flag in support of the organization on his Instagram account.

In response to the violence, police raised the terror threat level to the highest category. They increased their presence at key locations across the city. Photos from the scene showed the guard's booth sealed off by police tape, with officers in full gear standing nearby.

The attack occurred in an upscale Belgrade district where the Israeli Embassy is located near the U.S. Embassy. The embassy is protected by an elite police unit whose officers are armed with automatic weapons. Serbia has maintained close relations with Israel in recent years.

This incident follows a similar event in June 2024, when an attacker with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer at the same location. That officer shot and killed the assailant. The current attack took place just days after Serbia held a key early parliamentary election on Sunday. In that vote, long-ruling former President Aleksandar Vucic was defeated by a youth-led movement. Vucic and his allies still control the police while the new government is being formed. Israel also held its parliamentary vote on Tuesday, with exit polls indicating no clear winner.