12-Feb-13 [UPDATED]: Not so unusual. Also not so usual. Terror alert in Jerusalem at this moment.

Though we live in Jerusalem, it's the news media - accessible wherever you are - that are the source of the report that Jerusalem is under a terror alert at this hour. Ynet, The Jerusalem Post and the Times of Israel - among the major English-language channels - are all providing reports that the emergency services, including police, firefighters, paramedics, the Magen David Adom ambulance service, are all operating under conditions of “Level C” alert, the second-highest level of emergency readiness, declared by the Shin Bet security service.

We prefer not to report on what we see (if anything) from where we are, but the news channels here are speaking of roadblocks at the entrances to Jerusalem and a police helicopter patrolling the skies. Israel National News says

Forces have been stationed at major junctions throughout the capital, and there are more police officers than usual stationed across the city. In addition, checkpoints have been set up at entrances to the city and at major junctions. The checkpoints have led to heavy traffic jams in the area.

JTA says no details have been released by the police about the contents of the intelligence information. This alert is reportedly the first time the level was raised in more than a year.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Wednesday morning, February 13, 2013: The heightened terrorism alert for Jerusalem remains in force as we write this. Times of Israel says the increased readiness was carried over from Tuesday evening and into Wednesday morning

in response to intelligence received by the Shin Bet security service indicating the possibility of a terror attack in the city... The fear was of a terror attack, possibly by a suicide bomber, but the alert was “general, rather than specific,” security sources said.

Israel National News says

The threat was focused in East Jerusalem and police have not yet revealed what kind of information led to the high police presence.