Israeli police on motorcycles during manhunt for pub killer. Photo: Screenshot.

Israel security forces that arrived within minutes of the shooting spree in central Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon immediately began a manhunt after a suspected perpetrator of the attack, which left two Israelis dead and 7 others wounded, four of them critically.

Dozens of armed police officers have been searching the yards of apartment buildings adjacent to the incident, which took place at a bar/restaurant located at the corner of Dizengoff and Gordon streets, one of the White City’s most popular areas for locals and tourists, particularly on Fridays. Harrowing footage published by Israel’s Channel 2 shows the groups of officers racing down the city’s residential blocks with guns at the ready.

Police cars blocked all the streets in the vicinity of the attack, whose motive was reportedly radical Islamist incitement. Police sources cited by Israeli TV said a copy of the Koran was found in a bag the killer left at the scene.

Israeli defense officials, cited in local media reports later on Friday, said the attacker is a 29-year-old Arab Israeli citizen from a village located near Haifa in the Wadi Ara area.

Watch footage of the manhunt below: