BELGRADE -- A man wielding a crossbow shot and wounded a police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy, before being fatally shot in return by the guard officer, officials said.
The incident, which occurred in the Serbian capital on June 29, was being treated as an act of terrorism, Interior Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic told reporters at a Belgrade hospital where the guard was being treated.
Dacic identified the attacker as Milos Zujovic, a resident of Mladenovac, a city located 50 kilometers southeast of the capital Belgrade. Zujovic, who is 24 or 25, is a "convert" who goes by the religious name Salahuddin, Dacic said, without giving any more detail.
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.
It was unclear if the embassy itself, or its employees, were targets of the attack, which occurred around 11 a.m. when Zujovic approached the guard to ask about a museum and other nearby sites.
The officer replied that there was no museum nearby.
Zujovic then left, and returned a short while later. He opened a gate door in front of the embassy and pulled the crossbow out of a bag, shooting the guard in the neck, officials said.
The guard then opened fire at Zujovic, who died shortly after, according to officials.
Dacic told reporters that it is not yet known whether Zujovic acted alone or was part of an organized group, and that the Special Prosecutor's Office was now overseeing the investigation.
The Israeli Embassy had no immediate comment on the incident.