Police sources said the accident occurred as a 53-year-old man from Zurrieq was walking in Hal Far, close to the Playmobil factory. Sources said that as he was looking at a skip to get the number, a car drove by and he heard gun shots. He then felt a pain in his left thigh and called his son to come for him because he was not feeling well.

The man was taken to St Luke’s Hospital where he was operated upon immediately for a gunshot wound to the upper left thigh.

Sources said the car could possibly be a Toyota or a Fiat and was dark coloured. According to the man’s version of events, the car was no more than two metres away from him when the shots were fired. The sources said the man told police he had no idea who could have been behind the shooting and confirmed that he had received no threats recently.

Duty magistrate Giovanni Grixti was informed about the case and appointed several court experts to assist him with the inquiry. Birzebbuga police are investigating the incident and the man is being kept in hospital for further treatment.