Sgt. Ron Isaac Kukia. Photo: Twitter.

JNS.org – IDF Nahal Brigade Sgt. Ron Yitzhak Kokia, 19, from Tel Aviv, was stabbed to death on Thursday in an apparent terrorist attack in the southern Israeli city of Arad. A manhunt was underway on Friday as the terrorist was still at large.

“We believe this was a nationalistically motivated incident,” Israeli police said in a statement.

Magen David Adom paramedics were called to one of the city’s bus stations at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, where Kokia was found unconscious with apparent stab wounds to his upper torso. All attempts to resuscitate him failed and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kokia was visiting a nearby shopping center when he was attacked. His assailant stabbed him multiple times and fled the scene. Kokia was able to stumble outside to look for help before collapsing on the road nearby.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to bring the suspected terrorist to justice and to “continue to fight terrorism with all our might.”