Serbia: Minor Yelling 'Allahu Akbar' Wounds Officer Outside Israeli Embassy

An unidentified minor wounded a Serbian policeman guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade with a knife before being shot dead during the early morning hours of Wednesday in what Interior Minister Ivica Dacic described to international outlets as a suspected terrorist attack.

In a brief Wednesday morning statement, the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade detailed that the incident occurred at around 12:15 a.m. (local time). The assailant, dressed in black, opened the door to the security guard booth where the police officer was located, attacking the policeman while shouting “Allahu Akbar.”

The official sustained a laceration in his left cheek before he drew his service weapon and “fired several shots at the attacker, killing the minor on the spot.

“Following the investigation, it was determined that the use of the service firearm was justified in self-defense, and the investigation into the full circumstances of this incident is ongoing,” the statement concluded.

At press time, the incident is being treated by Serbian authorities as a suspected terrorist attack — as a result, the country’s terror alert was risen to its highest level and security has reportedly been stepped up at key locations such as infrastructure facilities and areas where large crowds gather.

Reuters reports that Interior Minister Dacic, in a statement shared via email, detailed that the yet-to-be identified minor is suspected to be from the western Serbian city of Šabac. Per Bloomberg, the minor assailant was 16 years old, and is presumed to have acted alone.

 Dacic also reportedly described the assailant as an open supporter of the Islamic State on his personal Instagram account, noting that Serbian security services had been monitoring the minor assailant.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the attempted terrorist attack in a brief social media statement detailing that no embassy personnel was injured during the incident.

“We confirm reports of an attempted terrorist attack near the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade,” the statement read.

The attacker was neutralized by local police. No embassy personnel were injured, and the mission was closed at the time of the incident, which occurred late at night,” the text continued. “The incident is currently under investigation by the relevant authorities.”

The attack occurred hours after polling stations closed in Israel and just days after Serbia’s parliamentary elections. Serbian authorities have not publicly disclosed if the attack holds any relation to either electoral event at press time.

The incident also marked the second time in two years that an attack against law enforcement officials has occurred at the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade. In June 2024, an attacker with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the Israeli embassy before being shot and killed by police officers.