Serbian police shot dead a knife-wielding attacker outside Israel’s embassy in Belgrade early on Wednesday after the man wounded a police officer guarding the mission, authorities said, raising the country’s terrorism threat level to its highest grade.
The attack happened just after midnight on Wednesday, 28 October, outside the embassy in the Serbian capital. It came a day after Israelis voted in an election, according to The Hindu’s report of the incident.
What happened
Outgoing Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said an unidentified minor, believed to be from the western city of Šabac, rushed at a member of the Gendarmerie guarding the embassy, shouting “Allahu Akbar” and attacking him with two knives.
The Belgrade Higher Public Prosecution Office gave a fuller account: a black-clad individual opened the door of the guard house in front of the embassy and rushed at the policeman, identified only by the initials D.S., throwing one knife that struck him in the left cheek. The officer then drew his service weapon and fired several shots, killing the attacker on the spot. Prosecutors qualified the officer’s action as justified and in self-defence, and said the investigation was continuing.
The officer suffered a minor knife wound to the face, according to the Interior Ministry.
Threat level raised to red
Dacic said police were treating the incident as a terrorist attack and that Serbia’s terrorism threat level had been raised to red, the highest level. That means tighter security checks and an increased police presence at sensitive sites, including infrastructure facilities and places where large crowds gather, he said.
Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed the attempted attack, said no embassy personnel were injured and that the mission was closed at the time, and said the incident was under investigation by the Serbian authorities.
What officials say about the attacker
Dacic said security services had been monitoring the attacker, described him as a known supporter of the Islamic State group, and said his Instagram profile featured a black flag and the Islamic State emblem. Those claims come from the minister’s statement and have not been independently verified; the attacker’s identity had not been established at the time of reporting, and he was described only as a minor.
Second attack at the embassy in two years
The incident is the second attack at the Israeli embassy in Belgrade in two years. In June 2024, an attacker armed with a crossbow seriously wounded a police officer guarding the embassy before being shot dead by police. That attacker was identified at the time as a 25-year-old man from a village near Belgrade.
Why it matters
Attacks on diplomatic missions are rare in Serbia, and the decision to raise the national threat level to red signals that the authorities are treating this as more than an isolated assault on a single guard. The heightened security posture will be visible at embassies, transport hubs and public gatherings across the country until the level is lowered, and the investigation’s findings on the attacker’s identity and contacts will shape how Serbia frames the threat.
What is confirmed — and what is not yet known
Confirmed: an attacker armed with two knives wounded a guarding officer and was shot dead; the threat level was raised to red; no embassy staff were injured; prosecutors found the shooting justified in self-defence.
Not yet confirmed: the attacker’s identity, and the minister’s claims about his affiliations and online profile, which rest on the Interior Ministry’s statement alone.
FAQ
What happened outside the Israeli embassy in Belgrade? A knife-wielding attacker wounded a Gendarmerie officer guarding the embassy just after midnight on 28 October and was shot dead by the officer.
Has Serbia raised its terror threat level? Yes. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic raised it to red, the highest level, with increased police presence at sensitive sites.
Were any embassy staff hurt? No. Israel’s foreign ministry said no embassy personnel were injured and the mission was closed at the time.
Sources
- The Hindu (AP), “Policeman kills knife attacker outside Israeli embassy in Serbia”, 28 Oct 2026: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/policeman-kills-knife-attacker-outside-israeli-embassy-in-serbia/article71635091.ece
- Khaleej Times (AFP), “Serbian police kill attacker outside Israeli embassy; officer wounded”, 28 Oct 2026: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/europe/serbia-police-kill-attacker-israeli-embassy-belgrade?amp=1
- Malay Mail (AFP), “Serbian police kill knife attacker outside Israeli embassy in Belgrade”, 28 Oct 2026: https://www.malaymail.com/amp/news/world/2026/10/28/knife-attacker-killed-outside-israeli-embassy-belgrade/240960
- The Jerusalem Post (Reuters), “Knife attacker shot dead outside Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia”, 28 Oct 2026: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-913082
