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Serbian Police Kill Knife-Wielding Assailant at Israeli Embassy

Updated 2:24 PM ET · 7:37 AM ETConfirmed

World Desk

In Short: Serbian police killed an unidentified minor assailant who attacked an Israeli embassy guard with knives in Belgrade.

Serbian police shot and killed an unidentified minor assailant who attacked an Israeli embassy guard with knives outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade early Wednesday morning.

The incident occurred just after midnight when the assailant, dressed in black, opened the door to the guard's booth and charged at the officer with two knives, throwing one in his direction and hitting the officer's left cheek.

The guard, identified by his initials D.S., responded by firing several shots at the attacker, killing him on the spot.

According to Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, the assailant was a minor and a supporter of the Islamic State, whose identity had not yet been established.

Security services had been monitoring the suspect prior to the attack, but it remains unclear how they left him without surveillance.

The Israeli embassy was closed at the time of the incident, and no embassy personnel were injured.

Dacic said the suspect had posted a picture of the Islamic State flag on his Instagram account and was known to security services.

The Serbian government has classified the incident as a terrorist attack and raised the terror threat level to the highest.

Police presence has been stepped up at key locations in Belgrade following the attack.

This incident follows an earlier attack outside the same embassy in June 2024, when a man armed with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the diplomatic mission.

The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade confirmed that the officer's actions were justified in self-defense.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the attempted terrorist attack and stated that the incident was under investigation by Serbian authorities.

What this adds

What's confirmed

• BELGRADE, Serbia -- Serbian police said on Wednesday that an unidentified assailant attacked a guard with knives outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade and was killed just after midnight.
• He said the attacker was a minor and had two knives.
• Police photos from the scene showed the guard’s booth outside the embassy and the area sealed off by police tape as officers in full gear stood nearby.
• “The attacker was neutralized by local police,” the statement said.
• Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed the “attempted terrorist attack," saying it was under investigation by the Serbian authorities.
• A guard at Israel's embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant early on Wednesday morning, according to Serbian police.
• After that, D.S. took out his service weapon and fired several shots at the attacker, killing him on the spot," it said, adding that the policeman's action was qualified as justified and in self-defense. Dacic noted that security services had been monitoring the suspect prior to the attack. "Based on the information available to us so far, he was known as a supporter of the Islamic State.
• Serbian prosecutors said that a “person dressed in black clothes” opened the door to the guard's booth outside the embassy and charged at the officer inside with the knives, throwing one in his direction and hitting the officer's left cheek.
• The officer, identified by his initials D.S., then pulled out his weapon and fired several shots at the assailant, killing him on the spot, the office of the Higher Public Prosecutor in Belgrade, said.
• The officer responded by fatally shooting the attacker.
• The incident follows an earlier attack outside the same embassy in June 2024, when a man armed with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the diplomatic mission.
• Dacic said that “he kept the black flag in support of the Islamic State on his Instagram” account.

What's still developing

• Independent journalism is a vital line of defense for democracy.
• The officer returned fire, killing the assailant, and sustained minor injuries during the confrontation.
• Stay on top of the issues that matter to you the most.
• The minor killed outside the Israeli embassy overnight after attacking the officer was born near Šabac and had been arrested in Munich in May on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack there, N1 reported today, citing police sources.
• Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late.
• Published 28 Oct 2026, 11:19 UTC Updated 28 Oct 2026, 11:26 UTC Map : © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets.

Sources

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