Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said that “a minor, so far unidentified … shouting Allahu Akbar, attacked the member of Gendarmerie and attacked him with two knives.”
The officer suffered light wounds in the attack. Dacic said the policeman “liquidated” the assailant in “self-defense.”
Authorities subsequently raised Serbia’s terror threat to the highest level and increased the police presence at sensitive locations.
Dacic said security agencies had been monitoring the attacker and identified him as a supporter of the Islamic State group. Referring to the assailant’s social media activity, Dacic said that “he kept the black flag in support of the Islamic State on his Instagram” account.
Wednesday’s attack occurred days after Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, who has led the country since 2014, was defeated by a youth-led movement. Vucic and his allies retain control of the police while the new government has yet to be formed.
Serbia has become one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe during Vucic’s administration. In August, Vucic inaugurated an assembly factory for Israel-made drones in the Balkan country to boost its military.
Cooperation has also extended to diplomatic and economic ties. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić announced steps toward a free trade agreement and the launch of a new strategic dialogue during an April meeting in Jerusalem.
