Officer Slain in Attack at Israeli Embassy in Belgrade

An attacker armed with knives struck an elite police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade and was killed in return fire just after midnight on Wednesday.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said police were treating the incident as a “terrorist attack” and raised the terror threat to its highest level, increasing police presence at key locations.

The attacker, a minor, carried two knives and shouted 'Allahu Akbar,' or 'God is great,' in Arabic before the officer, who was slightly wounded in the face, killed him in self-defense.

Photos from the scene showed the guard's booth outside the embassy and the area sealed off by police tape, with officers in full gear standing nearby.

The attacker was believed to be from the western Serbian town of Sabac, and he was being monitored by security agencies as a supporter of the Islamic State group.

The attack occurred days after Serbia held an early parliamentary election in which former President Aleksandar Vucic was defeated by a youth-led movement, though he and his allies still control the police as the new government is yet to be formed.

Exit polls from Israel's parliamentary vote on Tuesday indicated no clear winner.

In June 2024, an attacker with a crossbow also wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, and the assailant was shot and killed by the officer.

The Israeli Embassy is located in an upscale Belgrade district, not far from the U.S. Embassy, and is guarded by an elite police unit with officers armed with automatic weapons.

Serbia has maintained close relations with Israel.