Serbia Declares Attack Near Israeli Embassy a Terrorist Act

Serbia's Minister of Internal Affairs, Ivica Dačić, has declared the attack on a security guard near the Israeli embassy in Belgrade a terrorist act. The incident occurred when an assailant armed with knives attacked a Serbian gendarme stationed at the diplomatic mission. The attacker was subsequently shot and killed by police, while the gendarme sustained minor injuries. Serbian law enforcement agencies reported the event, with "The Times of Israel" also covering the story. Dačić stated that the perpetrator, believed to be a minor, was shouting religious slogans and used two knives against the gendarme. The officer acted in self-defense, firing his weapon and fatally wounding the assailant. Serbian intelligence services had reportedly been monitoring the suspect's activities, and Dačić indicated a possible connection to the Islamic State terrorist group, citing a black flag associated with the organization posted on the suspect's Instagram account. As a precautionary measure, Serbia has raised its terror threat level to maximum and enhanced security at critical locations nationwide. The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not issued a separate statement on the incident at the time of reporting. This is not the first such incident at the Israeli embassy in Belgrade; in June 2024, a man attacked a Serbian police officer guarding the embassy with a crossbow, also resulting in the attacker being shot and killed. The investigation into the current incident and the suspect's potential links to terrorist networks is ongoing.