Attack on Israeli Embassy in Serbia; One Police Officer Injured and Attacker Killed

An attacker who shot a police officer guarding the Israeli embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, with a crossbow was shot dead. According to the Associated Press, the Serbian Ministry of Interior described the incident as a 'terrorist attack' against the country and stated that the police officer fired at the attacker in self-defense. Ivica Dacic, the Serbian Minister of Interior, announced on Saturday, July 9, that the attacker shot the officer in the neck with a crossbow bolt, injuring him. He added that the police officer 'used his weapon for personal defense, resulting in the attacker's death.' Reuters also quoted the Serbian Minister of Interior stating that the police officer was attacked and fired several shots at the attacker, leading to his death. According to reports, the attacker approached the police officer asking for directions to a museum, but then suddenly pulled out the crossbow from his bag and shot the guard. The Serbian Minister of Interior stated in a press release through the Serbian news agency that the police officer is in critical condition and undergoing surgery. According to this statement, the police officer was unconscious when being transferred to the main emergency hospital in Belgrade and will undergo surgery to remove a bolt shot by the attacker into his neck. A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry also announced that 'today there was an attempted terrorist attack near the Israeli embassy in Belgrade.' The spokesperson said that the embassy has been closed and none of the embassy staff were harmed. The identity of the attacker has not yet been determined, but Reuters reported, citing the Serbian Minister of Interior, that several people believed to be connected to the incident have been arrested. He mentioned a possible connection of this attack to 'Wahhabi organizations' and stated that there are indications that the identities of those arrested were already known to security services, but added that this has not been confirmed and is under investigation. Wahhabism is a Sunni fundamentalist revivalist movement and a key driver of religious extremism. The Israeli embassy is located near the U.S. embassy in an upscale area of Belgrade. This embassy is protected by an elite police unit with armed officers carrying automatic weapons. Serbia has maintained close relations with Israel during the Gaza war.