Israeli soldier killed in occupied West Bank

HEBRON, Palestine

An Israeli soldier was found dead on Thursday after he was stabbed in the West Bank, the Israeli army said.

"A 19-year-old soldier was stabbed to death and his body found near a settlement in the (Gush Etzion) area near the West bank city of Hebron [Al-Khalil]," said an army statement.

"The soldier had been missing since Wednesday evening and his body was found in the early hours of Thursday with stabbing wounds," it added.

According to the statement, the soldier had first been abducted and he had not been murdered at the site where his body was found.

"The soldier was a student in Yeshiva [Jewish education center] and at the first stage of his military service," the army said.

Israeli army intensified its troop presence in the area and have launched a manhunt for the attacker along with Israeli Shin Bet intelligence agency and police.

Major Israel forces raided Beit Fajjar town in southern Bethlehem and searched shops and homes before confiscating records of security cameras and questioned a number of locals, according to eyewitnesses.

The Israeli army also erected military barricades at the entrances of the areas of Beit Einun, Al-Aroub, Al-Shuyukh and Sair.