An assailant wielding a crossbow injured a Serbian police officer who was guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade on Saturday, prompting the officer to fatally shoot the attacker, Serbia’s interior ministry confirmed. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic stated that the attacker fired a bolt at the officer, striking him in the neck. Dacic further noted, "The officer used a weapon in self-defense to shoot the attacker, who died as a result of his injuries."
The wounded policeman, conscious during transportation, is set to undergo surgery at Belgrade’s main emergency hospital to remove the bolt lodged in his neck, news agency AP reported.
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Israeli Officials Term Attack On Serbian Police Officer As ‘Terrorist Attack’
Israeli officials corroborated the incident, describing it as a "terrorist attack" near their embassy premises. A spokesman from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified, "Today there was an attempted terrorist attack in the vicinity of the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade," confirming no embassy personnel sustained injuries as operations remain suspended, as per AP's report.
While investigations are ongoing, Serbian Minister Dacic indicated that initial findings suggest terrorism as a motive, stating, "There are now all indications that the motives relate to terrorism. Because there is no other motive why someone would attack a gendarme outside the Israeli Embassy."
One individual has been apprehended near the crime scene, with authorities probing potential links to extremist networks, including the Wahhabi movement, the report stated.
Security measures have been heightened across Belgrade, encompassing diplomatic missions, government buildings, and public venues such as malls. The Israeli Embassy, situated in an upscale district close to the U.S. Embassy, is guarded by a specialised police unit equipped with automatic firearms.
Serbia maintains robust ties with Israel amid regional conflicts.