Deaths and injuries in attack outside Israeli embassy in Belgrade

A Serbian police officer responsible for security at the Israeli embassy in Belgrade killed a man on Saturday after shooting him with an arrow, the Serbian Interior Minister announced.

At around 11:00 a.m. (09:00 GMT), an unknown person shot a member of the security forces guarding the Israeli embassy with a bow and arrow, wounding him in the neck, Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said.

Attack Targets Israeli Embassy

The Interior Minister added that the police officer "used a weapon in self-defense against the attacker, who died of his wounds."

Dacic said that the police officer was on guard duty and that the attacker approached him several times and asked him where a museum was located. He said that the attacker was carrying a bag from which he suddenly took out a bow and arrow and shot the guard.

Immediately after the incident, police investigators in white forensic clothing surrounded the suspect's body in the street in front of the building.

Minister Dacic confirmed that several people were arrested "for precautionary reasons" and that security measures in Belgrade in general had been increased.

Israeli Embassy Closed

For its part, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said that there had been "an attempted terrorist attack in the vicinity of the Israeli embassy in Belgrade".

It continued in a statement: "The embassy is closed and no embassy staff were injured. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation."