Dario Nikolić, 18, from Bela Reka near Šabac, was reported missing by his family a day before the attack outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, according to Serbian media reports.
The family of Dario Nikolić, who Serbian authorities have linked to the attack on a security officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, had appealed for help finding him on social media before the incident, Serbian outlet Blic reported.
According to the family’s appeal, Nikolić left his village for the nearby city of Šabac, reportedly to get a haircut. He was last seen at the BIG shopping center.
His last known contact with his family was around 4 p.m., when he spoke with his mother. After that, his phone became unreachable, and he did not return home.
Nikolić’s father confirmed to Serbian media that the family had reported his disappearance to the police.
Reports of Previous Deportation From Germany
Serbian media have also reported that Nikolić was previously deported from Germany over social media posts described as containing radical Islamist content.
Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said security services had been monitoring the suspected attacker and described him as a supporter of the Islamic State group. Authorities have raised Serbia’s terrorism threat level to its highest setting following the incident.
According to the authorities, the attacker approached a gendarmerie officer guarding the Israeli Embassy shortly after midnight on Wednesday and attacked him with two knives while shouting “Allahu Akbar.” The officer, who sustained minor injuries, shot and killed the attacker in self-defense.
The investigation into the attack and the suspect’s background is ongoing. The reports concerning his previous deportation and alleged extremist affiliations have not, in themselves, established the full circumstances or motive behind the attack.
