Serbian police shot and killed an attacker outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade after a member of the Serbian Gendarmerie was targeted in a knife attack, the outgoing Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said yesterday. The minister described the attack as a “terrorist attack” and announced increased security measures for Serbia.
The attacker was reported to have approached the security officer who guards the embassy with two knives and attacked him with them. The officer suffered a minor facial injury but managed to defend himself and shoot the attacker. Serbian authorities raised the terrorist threat level to the highest level and increased police presence at key points.
The attack caused an immediate security response around the Israeli embassy in the Serbian capital. Police and security personnel were on high alert as they assessed such an attack and the possibility of similar attacks at other diplomatic venues and public places. “Security measures were put in place to enhance the security for the embassy,” Dacic said.
According to Dacic, the attacker was a minor and had two knives. The attacker was said to have shouted “Allahu Akbar” (Arabic for “God is great”) while attacking the officer, as reported by the minister. The police officer, who was slightly wounded in the face, fired back and killed the attacker in self-defence, the minister said. The specifics of the encounter - and circumstances leading to the shooting - are the subject of investigation by the authorities.
Dacic said the attacker was believed to be from the western Serbian town of Sabac. He added that security agencies had found the attacker to be a supporter of ISIS, or the Islamic State group. The minister said he was alleged to have had an Instagram account with a black flag to support the group.
These are part of the authorities’ report of the incident, and the reason, motivation and any possible connection between the attacker would need to be determined. Not only does an alleged online association or display of extremist imagery alone not tell us anything about the true nature of an attack.
JUST IN: Serbian police shoot dead man who tried to stab 2 officers outside Israeli embassy while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’; suspect supported ISIS https://t.co/sET1m7ZGEK
— Klaxon Wire (@KlaxonWire) October 28, 2026
The attack also came close to recalling a previous attack outside the Israeli embassy in Belgrade. In June 2024, a man armed with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer assigned to guard the embassy. The attacker was shot and killed by the guard, as the guard reported. The previous attack raised serious concerns about the safety of diplomatic facilities in Serbia and the dangers to the officers who protect them. The recent knife attack has once again put embassy security and the country’s response to potential extremist violence in the spotlight.
The Serbian investigators will look at the background of the suspect, possibly ideological motives in the attacker's background, online activities, or contacts that could help determine if the attack was planned or carried out by others. The increased terror alert means personnel are likely to remain at key sites in the event of the investigation. No wider network should be assumed without evidence, the supplied accounts say, and there have been no arrests in connection with the incident.
The attack is a momentous one for Serbia, after a parliamentary election that the report described as a heady time for the country’s political leaders and student movement. The former president Aleksandar Vucic has been under pressure for more than two years,” the report said.
The incident points to still-standing security problems for diplomatic missions and police officers who must police them. The terror threat is at its highest level and therefore the attack is very serious for the authorities. More information about this investigation and the background of the suspect and whether security will be affected will help to determine the full effects of the incident on Serbia and the Israeli embassy in Belgrade.
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