Belgrade police kill 17-year-old knife attacker outside Israeli embassy

Serbian police killed a young man with a knife outside the Israeli embassy in Belgrade on Wednesday morning, prompting a national security upgrade.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic stated that the attacker charged a police officer wielding two knives. The officer sustained a minor wound to the face and returned fire, killing the assailant. Authorities labeled the incident a terrorist attack.

The suspect was a Serbian citizen and a minor, according to Dacic. Although not formally identified yet, security services had been monitoring the individual. The minister noted that the suspect was a known supporter of the Islamic State and had posted an image of the group's flag on Instagram.

Dacic raised the national terrorism threat level to red alert, the highest classification. This move mandates stricter security checks and increases police visibility at infrastructure sites and public gathering areas. Armed guards were deployed outside the embassy on Wednesday morning.

The wounded officer was in stable condition and did not require hospitalization, Dacic confirmed. Israel's foreign ministry verified that no embassy staff were injured and noted that the mission was closed when the attack occurred.

This incident marks the second attack on the Belgrade embassy in under three years. In June 2024, a man shot a police officer in the neck with a crossbow before being killed by the officer's return fire. The Wednesday attack happened one day after Israeli elections.