Serbian authorities say embassy guard shot dead knife-wielding minor in Belgrade attack

A minor attacked a Serbian Gendarmerie officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade with knives, and Serbian authorities said the officer shot the attacker dead. Times Now News reported that the attack took place shortly after midnight on Wednesday.

The outlet’s account identifies the location as the embassy in Belgrade and describes the attacker as a minor; the headline of the New York Post also characterizes the attacker as ISIS-supporting. Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic described the incident as a suspected attack.

He said the attacker was unidentified and allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” before attacking the officer with two knives. NewsBytes’ headline also says the attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar.” The phrase is an allegation attributed to Dacic in the Times Now News account, not an independently established fact in the reporting. The guard sustained a minor injury, according to Dacic.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said no embassy staff were hurt and that the embassy was closed when the incident occurred. These statements describe the reported effects on the officer and the embassy staff; the account does not identify any other injuries. Dacic said Serbia had raised its national threat level to the highest setting.

He described the attacker as a supporter of the Islamic State group and said Serbia’s security agencies had been monitoring the alleged attacker. As a basis for that description, Dacic cited an Instagram account that he said displayed the group’s black flag in support of the organisation. The Times Now News account says the attacker’s identity was not known to Dacic.

It reports that the minister characterized the event as a suspected attack, while also presenting his claims about the attacker’s alleged affiliation and online activity. The headline of the New York Post likewise describes the minor as ISIS-supporting, but provides no additional detail about the basis for that characterization.

Times Now News reported that Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the matter was under investigation by the relevant authorities. The minister’s account of the threat-level change, the officer’s injury and the alleged attacker’s profile are the specific details reported about the official response and investigation; no further official action is identified.