Terrorist attack outside Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, red alert level declared

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and acting Interior Minister Ivica Dacic announced that a terrorist attack was carried out in Belgrade last night against a member of the Gendarmerie who was guarding the Israeli Embassy. Following the attack, he ordered the terrorist threat level to be raised to the highest level and an increased police presence at key locations.

The attack took place 15 minutes after midnight.

“A minor, whose identity has not yet been established and who is reasonably suspected of being from Sabac, attacked a member of the Gendarmerie with two knives while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’,” Dacic said, according to a statement from Serbia's Ministry of Interior.

He added that the Gendarmerie officer neutralised the attacker in self-defence, but was also slightly injured in the incident, sustaining a cut to his face from one of the knives used in the attack.

“The investigation is ongoing, and all details will become known. Given that the terrorist attack took place on our territory, as the interior minister responsible for this matter, I have raised the terrorist threat level to the highest possible level, namely red alert,” Dacic explained.

He specified that this entailed increased security checks and a stronger police presence at locations of particular security importance, including infrastructure facilities and places where large numbers of citizens gather.

“I want to reiterate that a member of the Gendarmerie guarding the Israeli Embassy was slightly injured in the terrorist attack carried out last night and neutralised the attacker. Although his identity has not yet been established, our security service had been monitoring him, and it is known that he was a supporter of the Islamic State. He displayed a black flag and the symbol of the Islamic State on his Instagram profile,” Dacic said.

Dacic added that he had visited the injured Gendarmerie officer together with Police Director General Dragan Vasiljevic. The officer is feeling well and is expected to be discharged and return home later today.