BELGRADE, Serbia, June 29 — A Serbian police officer on Saturday killed a person who shot him in the neck with a crossbow in entrance of the Israeli embassy in Belgrade, the Serbian inside minister mentioned.
Authorities mentioned some arrests had been made and a lot of individuals identified to the safety companies have been suspected of being linked to the assault, which the Serbian prime minister described as a “heinous terrorist act”.
The officer “used a weapon in self-defence and defeated the attacker, who died because of his accidents”, mentioned Interior Minister Ivica Dacic.
He mentioned the incident occurred at round 11:00 am (0900 GMT) on Saturday morning in the Serbian capital, when an “unknown particular person… shot a member of the gendarmerie, who was on responsibility securing the Israeli embassy, from a crossbow and hit him in the neck”.
The officer, who has undergone surgical procedure in hospital, was in his guard sales space when the assault occurred.
Dacic advised reporters later that there have been early indications connecting the assault with individuals suspected of being linked to the Wahhabi motion — an ultra-conservative department of Islam that dominates in Saudi Arabia.
He mentioned a number of individuals had been arrested for “prevention causes” and that total safety had been stepped up in Belgrade.
Special prosecutors have taken over the case, added Dacic.
“There is little doubt that it is a terrorist act directed towards the Serbian state and a member of the gendarmerie,” he mentioned.
A forensic police officer inspects a physique mendacity on the street subsequent to the Israeli embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, on June 29, 2024. — eNM pic
‘Terrorist act’
Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic strongly condemned what he labelled a “heinous terrorist act”.
“This was an act of madness, which can’t be attributed to any faith and any nation. It is against the law of a person,” he mentioned, in keeping with quotes from the Beta information company.
The prime minister vowed that his nation would have the ability to firmly reply to the specter of terrorism and careworn Serbian residents might “really feel secure”.
The Israeli international ministry referred to as it an “tried terrorist assault in the neighborhood” of the nation’s embassy in Serbia.
“The embassy is closed and no worker of the embassy was injured”, it mentioned in an announcement, saying the circumstances are nonetheless being investigated.
The Balkan nation has continued arms gross sales to Israel after the struggle in Gaza began with Hamas’s October 7 assault on southern Israel, which claimed 1,195 lives, principally of civilians, in keeping with an eNM tally based mostly on Israeli figures.
The militants additionally seized hostages, 116 of whom stay in Gaza though the military says 42 are useless.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at the very least 37,834 individuals, additionally principally civilians, in keeping with information from the well being ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. — eNM
