Suspect killed after knife attack near Israeli Embassy in Serbia

A man who carried out a knife attack outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade was shot dead by a police officer. A gendarmerie officer was injured in the attack. Serbia’s authorities raised the country’s security threat level to the highest category, AnewZ reported.

Ivica Dačić, who was leaving his post as Serbia’s interior minister, said the suspect was a minor, his identity had not yet been established and he may have been from the city of Šabac.

According to Dačić, the suspect approached the gendarmerie officer shouting “Allahu Akbar” and attacked him with two knives. The officer sustained minor head injuries.

Police numbers were increased at key locations across Serbia after the incident. The national security threat level was raised to “red,” the highest category.

This was the second attack on security personnel outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade in two years. In June 2024, an attacker wounded a Serbian police officer in the neck with a crossbow.

The latest attack took place a day after Israelis voted in a national election. Preliminary results showed the opposition bloc in a close race with the camp of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The incident also followed Serbia’s Sunday election. A student-led movement defeated Aleksandar Vučić, who had led the country for a long time. The outgoing administration is serving as a caretaker government until a new one is formed.