A ramming attack in Judea and Samaria early Monday left an Israeli security guard seriously wounded. The alleged terrorist behind the wheel, a 16-year-old Palestinian, was shot and killed by other security personnel at the Te'enim checkpoint, near the West Bank city of Tulkarm.
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Magen David Adom emergency services paramedics said the guard, 34, was in a serious but stable condition with head and chest wounds, adding that he was conscious when he was rushed to the Tel Hashomer Medical Center near Tel Aviv.
Following the attack, Defense Minister Benny Gantz has ordered the military and police to be on high alert in all Judea and Samaria checkpoints.
Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Eshel, who arrived at the scene and participated in an initial inquiry of the incident, praised the actions of the security guards at the checkpoint.
"This is a terrible attack and we all wish a speedy recovery to the wounded guard. The guards at the crossing acted quickly, just as we train them, sought to engage, hit the terrorist and ended the event within seconds. We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and will examine further steps to improve the protection for the guards," Eshel said.
Erez Sidon of the Crossing Points Authority in the Defense Ministry, said that the vehicle "arrived at the checkpoint with insane speed, swerved off its lane, got on the sidewalk and tried to hit three [road] workers who were there. After hitting one of the security guards, his colleagues neutralized him [the driver]."
Sidon added that the crossing is currently being operated by a civilian security company and not by the IDF.
The incident comes just over a day after two Border Police officers shot dead a Palestinian assailant after he stabbed a Jewish civilian in a suspected terror attack near the Old City of Jerusalem.
The incident took place near the Damascus Gate, a crowded area that is often the scene of demonstrations, clashes, and terrorist attacks.
The Border Police said the suspect also attempted to stab a policeman before he was shot.
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