セルビアのイスラエル大使館前で警官襲撃　犯人はその場で射殺

【ベオグラードＡＦＰ＝時事】セルビアの首都ベオグラードのイスラエル大使館前で２９日、警備に当たっていた警官が男にクロスボウ（洋弓銃）で襲撃された。襲われた警官が男を射殺した。セルビア首相は「テロ行為」と非難している。（写真は、セルビア・ベオグラードのイスラエル大使館前で、実況見分する警察官）
　事件は午前１１時ごろに発生。警官（３４）は首を負傷し、病院で手術を受けた。
　警察は男について、ベオグラードから約５０キロ離れたムラデノバツ出身で、１９９９年生まれのイスラム教への「改宗者」と特定した。
　当局によると、「予防的な理由」で数人が逮捕された。治安当局が以前から把握していた多数の人物が事件に関与した疑いがあるという。
　イビツァ・ダチッチ内相は、逮捕者の中には、「ジハード（聖戦）」を呼びかける複数の過激派インターネットサイトの管理者として２年前に拘束され、釈放されていた人物がおり、「今回のテロ行為の後方支援や準備に直接関わった疑いがある」と述べた。
　警察は複数の場所で捜索を続けているという。
　アレクサンダル・ブチッチ大統領によると、当局は今回の事件前から襲撃犯の男とその仲間を追跡していたが、十分な証拠がなく、身柄拘束には至らなかった。
　イスラエルのイスラエル・カッツ外相は２９日、事件を受けて、「イスラエル大使館へのテロ未遂事件に対する（セルビア当局の）強力な支援と協力」に感謝するとＸ（旧ツイッター）に投稿した。
　セルビア国内のイスラム教指導者は、負傷した警官の早期の回復を願うとともに、「このような犯罪はすべての宗教の教え、特にイスラム教の教えに反する。きょう起きた犯罪は愚かな個人によるものだ」と非難した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/07/01-17:32）

A Serbian police officer on Saturday killed a man who shot him in the neck with a crossbow in front of the Israeli embassy in Belgrade, in what the prime minister called a terrorist act.
Police identified the assailant as being a convert to Islam, who was born in 1999 in the town of Mladenovac, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Belgrade.
The attack happened around 11:00 am (0900 GMT) on Saturday in the Serbian capital, when the attacker shot the officer who was on duty outside the Israeli embassy.
The policeman in self-defence opened fire from his gun at the attacker who died as a result of his injuries, said Interior Minister Ivica Dacic.
Authorities said some arrests had been made for preventive reasons and a number of people known to the security services were suspected of being linked to the attack.
The arrested included a man from Belgrade who was already held two years ago for being the administrator of several militant internet sites that called for jihad, or holy war, but was released from custody, Dacic said.
It is suspected that he directly participated in the logistical support and organisation of this terrorist act.
Police also said they were carrying out searches in a number of locations.
There are several more persons that we are looking for, certainly for one who is on the territory of Serbia, President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters after visiting the wounded officer.
The attacker and his associates were tracked by the authorities before Saturday's attack but there was not enough evidence to arrest them, he added.
The 34-year-old officer, who underwent surgery in hospital, was in his guard booth when the attack happened.
According to authorities, the assailant had moved to live in Novi Pazar, which is a historical and political centre of the Bosniak Muslim minority in Serbia, and a centre of Islam in the country.
Dacic told reporters that there were early indications connecting the attack with people suspected of being linked to the Wahhabi movement -- an ultra-conservative branch of Islam that dominates in Saudi Arabia.
He said that overall security had been stepped up in Belgrade while special prosecutors had taken over the case.
- 'Terrorist act' -
Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic strongly condemned what he labelled a heinous terrorist act.
The prime minister said his country would firmly respond to the threat of terrorism and stressed Serbian citizens could feel safe.
The embassy is closed and no employee of the embassy was injured, in an attempted terrorist attack in its vicinity, an Israeli foreign ministry statement said. The circumstances are still being investigated, it added.
Later on Saturday, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz on X thanked Serbian authorities for their strong support and cooperation following the attempted terror act on the Embassy of Israel in Belgrade today.
Terrorism cannot be tolerated!
Israeli ambassador to Serbia Yahel Vilan on X voiced his gratitude to the wounded officer, who courageously prevented the attack.
I am convinced that the investigation by the competent authorities of this shameful attack will identify all responsible persons and further contribute to the preservation of Serbia as a safe country.
Meanwhile, Serbia's top Islamic cleric Senad Halitovic strongly condemned the attack and wished the wounded officer a quick recovery.
Such crimes are against all religious teachings, especially the teachings of Islam. Today's crime is the work of a mindless individual, he said in a statement.
The Balkan nation has continued arms sales to Israel after the war in Gaza started with Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, which claimed 1,195 lives, mostly of civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
The militants also seized hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza although the army says 42 are dead.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,834 people, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.