A Maltese from Kappara was seriously injured and is in critical condition after being hit during a shooting incident in Tripoli, Libya, the government said in a statement.
The goverrnment said that the man is 34 years old but friends of his who contacted The Malta Independent said that he is 31.
Sources told The Malta Independent that the man underwent surgery on his return to Malta and his condition was described as being stable.
In its statement, the government said the circumstances of the case are still being established, and the government said it is still not in a position to independently confirm what had taken place.
The Maltese man, Matthew Dingli, was on work duties in Libya in spite of the government’s recommendations against travelling to the war-torn country. He owns a business there.
The government immediately started procedures for this Maltese citizen to be brought back to Malta for treatment. It said Libya authorities offered their cooperation in this regard, and the man was brought over by air ambulance earlier this morning.
The Prime Minister, in a tweet, said that the authorities worked together to evacuate the Maltese citizen and are working to establish the circumstances of the case. The Opposition Leader also said he is closely monitoring the case.