Serbia raises security alert after guard kills knife attacker at Israeli Embassy

Serbian authorities escalated the national terrorism threat level to its highest setting on Wednesday, a move Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said would tighten security checks and increase police presence at infrastructure sites and crowded public areas. The decision followed a violent encounter outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade that occurred overnight into Wednesday.

During the incident, a knife-wielding assailant attacked a police guard stationed outside the diplomatic building. The officer, who sustained minor injuries, shot and killed the attacker in self-defense. Dacic identified the assailant as a minor from the western Serbian town of Sabac. He stated that security agencies had been monitoring the individual as a supporter of the Islamic State organization.

The minister reported that the attacker shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the assault. He also noted that the suspect’s Instagram account displayed the black flag associated with the group. Israel's Foreign Ministry later confirmed the event as an attempted terrorist attack, stating that no embassy personnel were hurt and that an investigation is underway.

This incident marks the second major attack on the same location in recent years. In June 2024, a crossbow-wielding suspect seriously wounded a police officer at the embassy before being killed. That previous attacker was identified as a 25-year-old Islamic convert from a village near the capital.

The timing of the attack coincides with a period of political activity in the region. It took place days after Serbia held key early parliamentary elections and one day after Israel conducted its own parliamentary vote, which has not yet produced a clear result.