17-Oct-13: Apparent hostile attempt this evening to penetrate IDF base near Jerusalem

The scene at the IDF base this evening
[Image Source: Hadashot 24/Uri Davis]

In the past hour, there are reports of an attempted penetration of an IDF base close to Ramallah. A Palestinian Arab driving a tractor approached the security gate of the base a few kilometers from Jerusalem's northern edge and requested permission to enter. While the guard in the sentry box sought permission, the Arab driver smashed through the gate and damaged several vehicles before the guard and his commander managed to neutralize him with their fire. It appears the driver is now dead.

Times of Israel says there are no other injuries reported in the incident. Ynet says the IDF is treating tonight's attempted breach of the IDF base's perimeter as a terror attack. It also reports that a failed attempt by Palestinian Arabs to get access to the same base happened in December 2012.

UPDATE October 18, 2013: As the Jerusalem Post points out Friday morning, the attacker is Younis Obaidi from Beit Hanina, a north Jerusalem suburb: "Obaidi's brother, Mir'i Radeideh, also attempted to carry out a terrorist attack with a tractor, in March 2009. Radeideh attempted to run over two policemen in a police car in Jerusalem in March 2009. He was also shot to death." The official, government-controlled Palestinian news agency, WAFA, this morning calls him "a martyr" in its Arabic edition. His death is not yet recorded in WAFA's English pages.