Serbia on highest terror alert after knife attack outside Israeli embassy

Serbian police shot dead an attacker outside the Israeli embassy in Belgrade on Wednesday after he attacked a police officer with two knives, prompting authorities to raise the country’s terrorism threat level to its highest setting.

Outgoing Interior Minister Ivica Dacic described the incident as a “terrorist attack”. The attacker, whose identity had not been established, was described by Dacic as a minor.

The attacker allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” while attacking the officer, Dacic said. According to the interior ministry, the officer killed the attacker in self-defence but suffered a minor knife wound to the face. The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Wednesday.

Serbia raises terrorism alert to red

Following the attack, authorities raised the terrorism threat level to its highest category, known as a “red alert”.

Dacic said the move would bring tighter security checks and an increased police presence at sensitive locations, including infrastructure facilities and places where large crowds gather.

He also said security services had been monitoring the attacker, who was believed to be from the western Serbian city of Sabac and was known to be a supporter of the Islamic State group.

According to Dacic, the attacker’s Instagram profile featured a black flag and the Islamic State emblem.

Israeli embassy was targeted in 2024

Although such attacks are rare in Serbia, the Israeli embassy in Belgrade has been targeted before.

In June 2024, a man armed with a crossbow seriously wounded a police officer guarding the embassy before being shot dead by police.

The attacker was identified as a 25-year-old man from a village near Belgrade. He had converted to Islam and later embraced extremist views, according to reports of the incident.

The latest attack has prompted heightened security measures across Serbia, with authorities increasing protection at sensitive sites.

With AP inputs