Belgrade Embassy Guard Stabbed, Teen Attacker Shot Dead by Officer

A gendarmerie officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade was stabbed in an attack late Tuesday, Serbian police said on Wednesday. The assailant, a teenager whose identity has not been officially disclosed, was killed during the incident.

The interior ministry has classified the episode as a terrorist attack. Acting Interior Minister Ivica Dačić, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said the case was first reported by local outlet N1.

Dačić said an unidentified minor attacked a gendarmerie member, a paramilitary police unit, with two knives. The officer then shot the attacker dead, Dačić said.

'A terrorist attack happened in Belgrade last night,' the minister said. 'A gendarmerie officer who was part of the security detail at the Israeli Embassy was targeted. Following this, we have moved the terror threat to its highest level and increased police presence at important sites.'

According to Dačić, Serbian security services had been watching the attacker before the assault. Their findings indicated he supported the Islamic State group. Dačić said the teenager had displayed a black flag linked to the group on his Instagram profile.

A ministry statement said the minor is suspected to have come from the Šabac area. He is alleged to have shouted a religious slogan while carrying out the attack.

Dačić said investigators are still working on the case and that full details are expected by Wednesday night. He said he had personally raised the threat level to red, the highest category, in view of the attack on Serbian soil.

With the new alert in force, security checks have been intensified, the minister said. Police patrols have been expanded at critical infrastructure and in crowded public places.

Dačić and Police Director General Dragan Vasiljević visited the wounded officer. The officer is in stable condition and is due to leave hospital on Wednesday.