Israeli security forces thwarted a ramming attack in Hebron, Saturday. The terrorist was killed.
According to available details, the troops spotted a Palestinian driving a utility vehicle near the Cave of the Patriarchs in the city at growing speed and called on him to stop. He refused, fleeing from them, then turned his Bobcat vehicle around and tried to run over a group of soldiers and civilians.
The troops engaged, firing at the man, who sustained mortal wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
"Israeli security forces in Hebron shot at a terrorist who tried to run them over," the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said in a statement.
"The terrorist turned around and continued driving with the intention to attack nearby civilians. A soldier who was positioned on a nearby roof identified the threat to the civilians and fired at the terrorist, killing him. No soldiers or civilians were harmed," the statement said.
Hebron is the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank with a population of some 200,000. About 1,000 Israeli settlers live in the heart of the flashpoint city, protected by the Israeli military.
Footage circulating on social media showed Israeli soldiers pulling a man's body out of a small tractor standing in a street.
The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the man was killed but gave no further details on the incident.
