Serbian police shoot dead assailant at Israeli Embassy
A knife-wielding assailant attacked a police guard outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, slightly wounding the officer before being shot dead by him, Serbia's interior minister said.
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed the attack occurred overnight to Wednesday. The assailant, described as a minor, had been monitored by security agencies as a supporter of the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS).
Israel's Foreign Ministry later confirmed an "attempted terrorist attack" near its embassy in Belgrade, adding that no personnel were injured and the incident was being investigated.
Attacker Background
The attacker was thought to come from the western Serbian town of Sabac and "kept the black flag in support of the 'Islamic State' on his Instagram" account, according to the minister.
Allahu Akbar
Security Response
Dacic said police were treating the incident as a terrorist attack, with the terrorism threat level raised to its highest, or "red alert."
"This means tighter security checks and an increased police presence at sensitive sites, including infrastructure facilities and places where large crowds gather," he said.
The attack came just days after key early parliamentary election in Serbia and one day after Israel held its parliamentary vote, with no clear result yet in sight.
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