BELGRADE (Azat TV) – A Gendarmerie officer guarding the Israeli embassy in Belgrade shot and killed a knife-wielding minor early on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, after the assailant rushed the guard house shouting religious phrases and struck him in the face, according to The Jerusalem Post. Caretaker Interior Minister Ivica Dacic announced that the national security threat level has been raised to its highest level, ‘red,’ amid heightened police deployments across vulnerable sites and critical infrastructure.
According to an official statement from the Belgrade-based Higher Public Prosecution Office, the unidentified, black-clad minor approached the guard house shortly after midnight and opened the door before rushing the on-duty officer, identified by the initials D.S. The assailant threw one of two knives at the guard, striking him in the left cheek, reported Mandurah Mail. Officer D.S. then drew his service weapon and fired several rounds, killing the attacker on the spot.
Security Profile and Prior History
Investigators examining the incident indicated that the suspect was already known to national security services. Dacic stated that the minor was suspected of being an Islamic State supporter, noting that the individual’s social media profile featured a black flag and symbols associated with the militant group, as cited by Punch Nigeria. Authorities are continuing to investigate the suspect’s background, network, and movements leading up to the early morning assault.
Dacic visited the injured police officer at the hospital alongside Police Director General Dragan Vasiljevic. Officials confirmed that the officer sustained only minor facial injuries, received necessary medical treatment, and was expected to be discharged for home care later in the day. Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that no embassy diplomatic personnel or staff members were injured during the incident, noting that the diplomatic mission was closed at the time.
Broader Context and Political Setting
This security breach represents the second violent incident directed at the Israeli embassy in Belgrade within a two-year span. In June 2024, a heavily armed assailant shot and seriously wounded a Serbian police officer in the neck with a crossbow before being shot dead by security personnel.
The latest attack unfolds against a tense domestic political backdrop in Serbia. The incident occurred days after national elections in which a student-led opposition movement unseated longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic. While the transition of power is underway, the outgoing administration under Dacic remains active in a caretaker capacity until a new government is officially formed, directing immediate national security measures.
Institutional and Regional Implications
The immediate escalation of the national threat level to ‘red’ triggers intensive security checks, reinforced perimeter controls, and expanded deployments of heavily armed special police units around sensitive diplomatic missions, public transport hubs, and mass gathering points across Serbia, as observed by European Western Balkans. Law enforcement agencies are examining whether the minor acted alone or had local accomplices, while international intelligence channels review potential transnational extremist links.