Serbian Police Officer Injured in Crossbow Attack Outside Israeli Embassy
In Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, a police officer was wounded in a crossbow attack near the Israeli embassy. Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic reported that the officer managed to shoot and kill the attacker after being struck in the neck with an arrow.
The injured officer underwent surgery and is now out of serious condition. Minister Dacic explained that the incident occurred when the assailant, a Serbian national, approached a small building at the front of the embassy around 11:00 AM local time (09:00 GMT) under the pretense of inquiring about a museum. The attacker then revealed a crossbow and shot the officer. In response, the officer returned fire, and the attacker succumbed to his injuries approximately thirty minutes later.
Authorities identified the attacker as a man born in 1999 from Mladenovac, a town located 30 miles from Belgrade. He had later moved to Novi Pazar, a cultural hub for the Bosniak Muslim community, and had converted to Islam. Special prosecutors are now handling the case, and several individuals have been detained as a precaution.
While Interior Minister Dacic suggested the possibility of a broader threat, Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic labeled the event as “a crime of an individual.” Vucevic condemned the act, describing it as “an act of insanity, which cannot be attributed to any religion or nation.”
Both officials characterized the attack as a “terrorist act.” The Israeli foreign ministry confirmed that the embassy was closed during the incident and that no employees were harmed.
This attack follows a series of incidents targeting Israeli embassies since October 7, when Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on southern Israel, prompting Israel’s campaign to dismantle the militant organization.
