Serbian Shot Dead After Knife Attack on Officer Outside Israeli Embassy in Belgrade

A Serbian minor was shot and killed by police in the early hours of Wednesday after attacking an officer with two knives outside the Israeli embassy in Belgrade, Interior Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed. The attacker, whose identity had not been formally established at the time of reporting, was said to have shouted 'Allahu Akbar' during the assault. The officer sustained a minor knife wound to the face and was treated for the injury; no embassy personnel were harmed.

The incident occurred just after midnight, when the embassy mission was closed and a Gendarmerie officer was on guard duty at the site. The officer opened fire in self-defence, killing the attacker at the scene. Emergency services responded rapidly and the surrounding area was placed under a heightened security cordon.

Dacic told reporters that the attacker was a known supporter of the Islamic State group who had been under active monitoring by Serbian security services prior to the assault. Officials said the suspect maintained a social media presence that included the Islamic State's black flag and emblem on his Instagram profile, which had drawn the attention of intelligence authorities.

Belgrade police identified the attacker as believed to be from Sabac, a city in western Serbia. Because the suspect was a minor, Serbian law restricted the immediate release of personal identifying details. Investigators were working to formally establish his identity and determine whether he acted alone or had any associates.

Following the attack, the Serbian government raised the national terrorism threat level to red — its highest designation. The elevated alert triggered tighter security checks and a significant increase in police presence at sensitive locations, including government buildings, critical infrastructure, and sites where large public gatherings occur.

The Israeli embassy in Belgrade has been the target of politically motivated violence before. In June 2024, an attacker armed with a crossbow wounded a police officer outside the same building before being shot dead by security forces. That earlier incident drew widespread condemnation and prompted a temporary review of diplomatic security protocols in Serbia.

The latest attack occurred against a backdrop of broader regional and global tension surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has repeatedly fuelled incidents targeting Israeli diplomatic missions across Europe and beyond. Security services in several European nations have reported a heightened threat environment at Israeli and Jewish community sites in recent years.

The Serbian government moved swiftly to frame the incident as a terrorist attack. Dacic's public statements emphasised both the security services' prior awareness of the attacker and the state's commitment to protecting diplomatic facilities on Serbian soil. No formal claim of responsibility had been issued by any group as of the time of initial reporting.

Israel's foreign ministry was briefed on the incident, though no immediate official statement had been publicly released by Israeli authorities. Serbian officials said coordination with Israeli counterparts and relevant international security agencies would form part of the ongoing investigation.

Authorities did not rule out further investigative developments as forensic work and interviews continued. The Serbian prosecutor's office was expected to open formal proceedings, and questions remained about how the minor had obtained the weapons and the extent of any extremist network he may have been connected to.