By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BELGRADE/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – A suspected Islamic attacker with a crossbow was killed after wounding a Serbian police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade on Saturday, Serbia’s Interior Ministry said.
The officer responded by fatally shooting the assailant in the Serbian capital, according to authorities.
Both Serbian and Israeli officials said “initial indications” pointed to terrorism as a motive.
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told reporters the attacker fired a bolt at the police officer, hitting him in the neck.
Speaking to reporters outside the Belgrade hospital where the victim is treated, Dacic explained that the officer “used a weapon in self-defense to shoot the attacker, who died as a result of his injuries.”
Dacic identified the attacker as Milos Zujovic, a resident of Mladenovac, a city 50 kilometers (31 miles) southeast of Belgrade. Zujovic, who is 24 or 25, is a “convert” who goes by the religious name Salahuddin, Dacic said
Salahuddin was a Sunni Muslim general who defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin in 1187, capturing Jerusalem and “reestablishing Muslim control of the Holy Land,” according to historians.
TARGETTING EMBASSY
It was unclear if the embassy itself or its employees were targets of the attack, which reportedly occurred around 11 a.m. local time after Zujovic approached the guard to ask about a museum and other nearby sites.
The officer replied that there was “no museum nearby,” officials said.
Zujovic then left and returned a short while later. He opened a gate door in front of the embassy, pulled the crossbow out of a bag, and shot the guard in the neck, according to investigators.
The guard then opened fire at Zujovic, who died shortly after, according to officials.
Dacic told reporters that it is unknown whether Zujovic “acted alone or was part of an organized group” and that the Special Prosecutor’s Office was now overseeing the investigation.
Saturday’s attack came while European countries take additional measures amid fears of terror attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Serbia maintains close ties with Israel during the Gaza war.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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