Serbia - Attack on Israeli embassy in Belgrade
A converted Serb shot at a Serbian police officer of the Israeli embassy in Belgrade with a crossbow. The policeman, hit by the arrow in the neck, retaliated with a firearm and fatally wounded the attacker, reported RTS citing the Prosecutor's Office. The Serbian police officer from the Gendarmerie was operated on in the hospital, his condition was stable, according to the report.
Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic described the attack as a terrorist act. The attacker was a Serb from the Belgrade suburbs, Dacic said to RTS. The latest residence of the 25-year-old was in Novi Pazar, the main city of the Serbian region Sandjak, where predominantly Muslim Bosniaks live. The ethnic Serbs are almost exclusively Orthodox Christians.
Prime Minister Miloš Vučević strongly condemned the "despicable terrorist act". "The State of Serbia is capable of decisively reacting to the threat of terrorism", he said to RTS. The Israeli Foreign Ministry also spoke of a terrorist act attempt. The embassy personnel was not injured, the embassy was temporarily closed.
The attacker died from the injuries inflicted by the policeman's firearm. The policeman acted in self-defense, according to the Prosecutor's Office. The details of the attack are still being investigated. The arrow from the crossbow was surgically removed from the policeman in the hospital, reported RTS citing hospital doctors.
- The Serbian public prosecutor's office has released a statement condemning the crime committed by an individual against a Serbian police officer from the Israeli embassy in Belgrade.
- During a television interview, Serbian leader Ivica Dacic described the incident as a form of extremism, emphasizing the need for Serbia to work towards stopping such acts.
- Israeli officials, including the foreign ministry, have expressed their concern over the incident in Belgrade and their support for the Serbian authorities in their investigation of the crime.
- The attack on the Israeli embassy in Belgrade by a Serbian citizen wielding a crossbow has raised questions about the potential for extremist sentiment in Serbia, prompting calls for increased vigilance and dialogue.
- In a message of solidarity, the Prime Minister of Israel has extended condolences to the family of the attacker and reassured Serbia of its commitment to maintaining peaceful relations between the two nations.
