Reported by:
Cherry Meigh Timbol
News Content Editor
Published October 28, 2026
BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbian authorities said a minor armed with two knives attacked a police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ before being fatally shot by the officer.
Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said the assailant attacked a member of the country’s Gendarmerie, an elite police unit responsible for security duties. The officer sustained a minor injury during the confrontation, while the attacker was killed at the scene.
Authorities are treating the incident as a suspected terrorist attack and have raised Serbia’s security alert to its highest level.
Attack Outside the Embassy
According to statements from Serbian officials, the unidentified attacker approached the guard post outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade shortly after midnight.
Dačić said the minor shouted ‘Allahu Akbar,’ an Arabic phrase meaning ‘God is great,’ while attacking the officer with two knives.
The Belgrade-based Higher Public Prosecution Office said the assailant, dressed in black, opened the door of the guard post and rushed at the officer, identified by the initials D.S.
Investigators said the attacker threw one of the knives at the officer, striking him in the left cheek. The officer then drew his service weapon and fired several shots, killing the assailant.
Authorities said the officer’s use of force was considered justified and in self-defense, according to the prosecution’s preliminary account. The investigation remains ongoing.
Suspected Extremist Links Under Investigation
Dačić said Serbian security agencies had previously monitored the attacker, whom he described as a supporter of the Islamic State militant group.
According to the minister, the suspect had displayed the group’s black flag on an Instagram account. Authorities have not publicly established all the circumstances surrounding the attack, and the investigation is continuing.
The allegations concerning the suspect’s extremist affiliations remain attributed to Serbian officials as investigators examine the incident.
Security Measures Intensified
Following the attack, Serbian authorities raised the national terror threat level to red, the highest alert, and increased police deployments at sensitive locations.
The measures include heightened security around important public facilities and other potential targets. The incident has renewed attention on the protection of diplomatic missions and the risks faced by officers assigned to embassy security.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said no embassy staff members were injured because the embassy was closed at the time of the attack. Israeli authorities confirmed that the incident was under investigation.
Previous Attack at the Same Embassy
The incident follows another attack outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade in June 2024.
In that case, a crossbow-wielding attacker shot and wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the diplomatic mission. The officer returned fire, killing the assailant. Serbian authorities also treated that incident as a terrorist attack and subsequently strengthened security around sensitive locations.
The latest attack marks another serious security incident at the same diplomatic site within two years.
Investigation Continues
Serbian authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the attack, including the suspect’s identity, possible extremist connections and the events leading up to the confrontation.
Officials have described the incident as a suspected terrorist attack, but the investigation will determine the full circumstances and any additional findings.
