Serbian police officer kills knife attacker at Israeli Embassy

A police officer shot and killed a knife-wielding man outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade during an overnight attack on Wednesday, October 28. Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic announced that the guard was slightly wounded in the assault.

Authorities classified the event as a terrorist attack. Dacic identified the assailant as a minor from Sabac, a town in western Serbia. Security agencies had previously monitored the individual as a supporter of Islamic State. The minister noted that the attacker’s Instagram account featured a black flag associated with the group.

According to Dacic, the assailant shouted “Allahu Akbar” while striking the officer with a knife. The minister described the officer’s decision to fire as self-defense. The guard sustained slight injuries during the confrontation.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the event as an attempted terrorist attack near the diplomatic mission. The ministry stated that no embassy personnel were injured and that officials were investigating the incident. This confirmation followed the Serbian minister’s initial report.

Serbia raised its terrorism threat level to the highest category, known as a red alert. Dacic explained that this designation requires stricter security checks and increased police presence. The heightened measures target infrastructure facilities and locations where large crowds gather.

The attack occurred shortly after Serbia held a key early parliamentary election. It also took place one day after Israel conducted its own parliamentary vote. The outcome of the Israeli election remained uncertain at the time of the incident.

The same embassy site was the location of a previous attack in June 2024. In that incident, a crossbow-wielding assailant seriously wounded a Serbian police officer. Police shot and killed the 25-year-old attacker, who had converted to Islam and become radicalized. The officer involved in the current incident suffered only slight injuries.