Serbian officer shot with crossbow outside Israeli embassy

A police officer has been injured in a crossbow attack outside the Israeli embassy in the Serbian capital Belgrade.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told reporters that the police officer then shot dead the attacker.

Mr. Dacic said the attacker – who authorities said was Serbian – used an arrow to stab the police officer in the neck. Authorities said officer Milos Jevremovic had undergone surgery and was no longer in serious condition.

Officials have described the attacker as a convert to Islam and classified the attack as “terrorist” in nature.

Mr Dacic said the attacker approached a small building in front of the Israeli embassy several times around 11:00 (0900 GMT), allegedly to ask about a museum.

He then opened the door to the small building, grabbed a crossbow and shot the officer, Mr. Dacic said. Police then returned fire and the attacker died about half an hour later.

Serbian authorities identified the attacker as Milos Zujovic, born in 1999 in the town of Mladenovac, about 30 miles (48km) from the capital, before moving to Novi Pazar – the cultural center of Bosnia’s Muslim minority.

They say that after converting to Islam, he took the “religious name” Salahudin.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the embassy was closed at the time of the incident and no staff were injured.

Mr Dacic said the case was taken over by special prosecutors who later declared the incident an “act of terrorism”.

As a result, he raised Serbia’s threat level to red – deploying more police around potential targets, as well as searching suspected plot locations.

Earlier in the day, Mr Dacic said a number of individuals had been detained as a precautionary measure.

While the interior minister said the attack could be part of a larger threat, Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic called it “an individual crime”.

In comments quoted by Beta news agency, he described the incident as “an act of madness, which cannot be attributed to any religion or nation”.

Mr. Vucevic urged the public to “remain calm and not succumb to propaganda” that could encourage hate crimes.

Both the prime minister and the interior minister have described the incident as an “act of terrorism”.

Mr Dacic’s office later said Igor Despotovic, also born in 1999 and from Belgrade, had been arrested after being found to have “daily contact” with Zujovic. It also said Despotovic had been arrested two years ago for running online extremist groups, in an ongoing case.

Serbian authorities said police were still looking for another person believed to share Zujovic’s views, who it could take several days to locate and arrest.

According to AFP news agency, President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters there were “several more people we are looking for”.

Police operations were taking place in several locations across the country, Mr Dacic said on Saturday afternoon.

Israeli Ambassador to Serbia Yahel Vilan wrote on X/Twitter said he was “deeply shocked” by the attack and thanked Mr Jevremovic, “who courageously prevented the attack”.

Meanwhile, Serbia’s top Muslim cleric, Senad Halitovic, condemned the attack. According to AFP, he said: “Such crimes are against all religious teachings, especially the teachings of Islam. Today’s crimes are the actions of a heartless individual.”

The incident in Belgrade was not the first time someone has attempted to attack an Israeli embassy since October 7, when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, and Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in Gaza.

After visiting Mr. Jevremovic at the hospital, Mr. Vucic said Mr. Jevremovic was still conscious and would be honored for his actions as soon as he was discharged from the hospital.