Serbia Raises Terror Alert to Highest Level After Knife Attack on Police Guard Outside Israeli Embassy

BELGRADE (Terror Monitor) — Serbia has raised its terrorist threat alert to the highest level after a knife attack on a police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in the capital, Belgrade, early Wednesday. The officer returned fire, killing the attacker, while sustaining minor injuries, Serbian authorities said.

Interior Minister Ivica Dačić described the incident as a terrorist attack and ordered heightened security at key locations across the country, including critical infrastructure and areas where large numbers of people gather.

According to the Serbian Interior Ministry, the attack occurred shortly after midnight on October 28, when a suspected minor approached a member of the Gendarmerie guarding the Israeli diplomatic mission and attacked him with two knives.

The attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the assault, Dačić said. The officer responded with his service weapon, killing the assailant at the scene.

The injured officer suffered a cut to his face but was reported to be in stable condition. Authorities said he was expected to be discharged from hospital later on Wednesday.

Suspect reportedly linked to Islamic State

Dačić said Serbian security agencies had been monitoring the attacker, whom he described as a supporter of the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS or IS.

According to the minister, the suspect had displayed the group’s black flag and insignia on his Instagram account. Authorities were still working to establish his identity, and officials said he was believed to be from Šabac, a city in western Serbia.

The Serbian government said the circumstances of the attack remained under investigation. Officials had not announced that the Islamic State had formally claimed responsibility for the incident.

The suspect’s reported sympathies and the circumstances of the assault have prompted authorities to treat the incident as terrorism. However, the investigation is expected to establish further details about the attacker’s motives, contacts and possible links to any wider network.

Serbia imposes maximum security alert

Following the attack, Serbian authorities raised the national terrorist threat level to red, the highest level under the country’s alert system.

Dačić said the measure would result in increased police patrols, tighter security checks and enhanced surveillance at strategically important locations. Security was also being reinforced at infrastructure facilities and public places where large crowds gather.

The authorities have not announced a wider arrest operation or confirmed whether additional suspects are being sought.

The Israeli Embassy was closed at the time of the incident, and Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that no embassy employees were injured. Israeli officials described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack and said the assailant had been neutralised by local police.

The attack has renewed concerns about the security of Israeli diplomatic missions abroad amid heightened tensions across the Middle East and beyond.

Second attack on Israeli Embassy in Belgrade in two years

The incident recalls a similar attack outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade in June 2024.

In that incident, a Serbian man who had converted to Islam attacked a police officer guarding the embassy with a crossbow, striking the officer in the neck. The wounded officer returned fire and killed the attacker.

Serbian authorities treated the 2024 incident as terrorism and investigated possible links to extremist networks.

The latest attack marks another security incident targeting personnel responsible for protecting the same diplomatic mission, prompting renewed scrutiny of security arrangements around the embassy.

Investigation continues

The Serbian government has said the investigation into Wednesday’s attack is ongoing. Authorities are examining the suspect’s background, online activity and possible extremist connections to determine whether he acted alone or had assistance from others.

The incident comes at a politically sensitive time for Serbia, following a parliamentary election and while a new government is being formed. However, authorities have not announced any connection between the attack and the country’s political developments.

For now, Serbian officials have confirmed that the attacker was killed, the police officer suffered minor injuries, and the national terrorist threat level has been raised to its maximum setting.

Sources: Serbian Interior Ministry, Reuters, Associated Press, and Israel’s Foreign Ministry.