On the morning of Saturday, June 29, 2024, a man injured a policeman after shooting him in the neck with a crossbow outside the Israeli embassy in the Serbian capital, Belgrade. The officer returned fire, killing the assailant, who was named as Milos Zujovic, a native of the Serbian town of Mladenovac born in 1999. Zujovic had converted to Islam and began calling himself Salah Al-Din. The Israeli embassy was closed at the time of the attack and none of its employees were harmed.[1]
No group has yet issued a claim for the attack.
That evening, the pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Bariqah News Agency published a Telegram post reporting on the attack at the “Jewish embassy,” noting that the attacker was “known in his circle as a Muslim influenced by the people of monotheism [i.e. Salafi-jihadis].”[2]
On July 3, Bariqah shared a video three-and-a-half minutes in length, showing the Belgrade attacker, “brother Salah Al-Din Al-Serbi – may Allah accept him [as a martyr],” declaring his bay’ah [oath of allegiance] to ISIS leader Abu Hafs Al-Hashemi Al-Qurashi prior to the assault and proclaiming his motives.[3]
The video, apparently filmed on a mobile phone, begins with Zujovic, wearing a blue polo shirt, reciting the formula of the bay’ah in accented Arabic and a second time in Serbian. He then declares in Serbian – with subtitles provided in Arabic: “I can imagine after this blessed operation a certain group of unbelievers and clergy who understand nothing [saying]: ‘How did this happen? Why this? Why that?’ … and therefore let me clarify: When the unbelievers and their armies travel thousands of kilometers and attack Muslims in their countries and regions, robbing, killing, raping, and enslaving them, that is [considered] ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights!’ When Muslims are raped, killed, robbed, and beheaded in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, and many other countries, and now this in Palestine, that is also ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights!’ All this is done in the name of ‘propagating democracy.’ But when Muslims use weapons to defend themselves and retaliate for the oppression being exercised against them, then that is terrorism, barbarity, savagery, the worst thing that can happen! So look and know that a Muslim’s life and honor is inviolable, and if you do not realize that, then prepare for bloodshed, prepare for war.
“As for you, Jews and their lackies, the crusaders and atheists, I swear by Allah that we will not stop settling our scores with you. We will get you in our power and kill you in every area, whether you realize its danger or not, not just in Palestine but on a wider scale, and until the rocks and trees declare: ‘O Muslim! O servant of Allah! There is a Jew behind me, come and kill him,’ as was stated in the hadith. I swear by Allah that we will not stop. Do not think that you are safe in your homes and countries, which are protected by hundreds and thousands of tanks, planes, and submarines. No, you are not safe! Allah willing, we will convince you of that!”The video ends with footage showing “brother Salah Al-Din heading towards the Jewish embassy,” according to an Arabic-language caption. In it, Zujovic can be seen wearing a white T-shirt as he rides in a bus. After singing to himself softly, he looks straight into the camera and smiles as he says: “I believe that this bus is leading to Paradise.”
In August 2023, ISIS announced that its fourth caliph, known by the alias Abu Al-Husayn Al-Husayni Al-Qurashi, had been killed, and proclaimed a new leader known by the nom de guerre Abu Hafs Al-Hashemi Al-Qurashi.[4] An anti-ISIS media outlet recently claimed, citing “pious brothers” in Somalia, that Abu Hafs is none other than ‘Abd Al-Qader Mu’min, the governor of ISIS’ Somalia province, whom U.S. sources suggested had been killed in a May 31 U.S. airstrike, adding that Mu’min is still alive.[5]
[1] Bbc.com, June 30, 2024.
[2] Telegram, June 30, 2024.
[3] Telegram, June 30, 2024.
[4] See MEMRI JTTM Report: New Islamic State (ISIS) Spokesman Announces New Caliph Is Abu Hafs Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi, Accuses Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Of Killing Caliph Predecessor; Warns: Allah’s Punishments – Including COVID, War In Ukraine – Will Continue To Weaken America, August 3, 2023.
[5] See MEMRI JTTM Report: Islamic State (ISIS) Critic Claims ‘Abd Al-Qader Mu’min, Governor Of Somalia Province, Is ISIS Caliph, Still Alive, July 3, 2024.