Knife attacker shot dead outside Israeli Embassy in Belgrade; Serbia raises terror alert to highest level

As of 8:24 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

An attacker armed with two knives was shot dead after wounding a police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade shortly after midnight Wednesday, Serbian authorities said. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic called it a terrorist attack and raised Serbia's terrorism threat level to red, the highest.

The attack happened at about 12:15 a.m. local time Wednesday (7:15 p.m. ET Tuesday), according to the Serbian government. Dacic said the attacker was a minor whose identity had not yet been formally established. He said the attacker rushed at an officer of the Gendarmerie, an elite police unit, shouting "Allahu Akbar," and attacked him with two knives, Reuters and the Associated Press reported. The officer shot the attacker in self-defense, Dacic said.

What prosecutors say happened

Belgrade's Higher Public Prosecutor's Office said a black-clad, unidentified person opened the door of the guard booth in front of the embassy and rushed at the officer, identified only by the initials D.S., with a knife in each hand, Reuters reported. "The unidentified person threw one knife in the direction of D.S., hitting him in the left cheek. After that, D.S. took out his service weapon and fired several shots at the attacker, killing him on the spot," the office said, according to Reuters.

Prosecutors said the officer's use of his weapon was justified self-defense and that the investigation was continuing. The Serbian government described the officer's injury as a minor cut to the face.

Islamic State claim attributed to the minister

Dacic said Serbia's security services had been monitoring the attacker, who he said was known to be a supporter of the Islamic State group and had displayed the group's black flag and emblem on his Instagram profile, according to the government's statement. No group had claimed responsibility in the reports GROKsiNEWS.com reviewed, and the attacker's motive has not been independently confirmed.

Dacic said raising the threat level means heightened monitoring and a stronger police presence at sites of particular security importance, including infrastructure and places where large crowds gather.

Israel: no staff hurt

Israel's Foreign Ministry said on X that it confirmed "reports of an attempted terrorist attack near the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade." It said the attacker "was neutralized by local police," that no embassy personnel were injured, and that the mission was closed at the time of the late-night incident. The ministry said the incident is under investigation by the relevant authorities.

It is the second attack on a police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade in about two years. In June 2024, an assailant shot an officer in the neck with a crossbow and was shot dead, AP and Reuters reported.

The attack comes days after Serbia's Sunday parliamentary election, in which a student-led movement defeated longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic. His outgoing government, including Dacic, remains in place in a caretaker role until a new government is formed, Reuters and AP reported.

What is not known

Authorities have not publicly identified the attacker. GROKsiNEWS.com does not name minors. Serbian officials have not said whether anyone else was involved.