A man identified by Serbian media as Dario Nikolić was killed by a police officer after allegedly attacking a member of Serbia’s Gendarmerie with 2 knives outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade shortly after midnight Wednesday.
The attack happened at around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, where a member of Serbia’s Gendarmerie was on guard duty. The attacker approached the officer and attacked him with 2 knives, according to Serbia’s Interior Ministry.
The officer drew his service weapon and fired several shots, killing the attacker at the scene, prosecutors said. The officer suffered a cut to his face but was expected to recover. An initial investigation determined that the officer’s use of his firearm was justified as self-defense.
Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić described the incident as a terrorist attack. He said the attacker shouted “Allahu akbar,” an Arabic phrase meaning “God is greatest,” during the assault.
Serbian news outlet Kurir reported that the suspect was Nikolić, who was from Bela Reka near the city of Šabac. Kurir reported that he had previously been listed as missing and had been deported from Germany over alleged radical Islamist posts on social media. These details have not been independently confirmed.
Dačić said authorities had been monitoring the suspect and that his Instagram account reportedly displayed a black flag and symbols associated with the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS. Officials have not released further details about the suspect’s background or established a full account of his motives.
Following the attack, Dačić ordered Serbia’s terrorism threat level raised to its highest, red level. Police presence and security checks were increased at key locations, including critical infrastructure and places where large numbers of people gather.
The incident comes just over 2 years after another attack outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade. In June 2024, a man armed with a crossbow shot a Serbian Gendarmerie officer guarding the embassy, injuring him in the neck. The officer returned fire and killed the attacker.