A manhunt is underway following a brutal shooting at a restaurant in Malaga city.
A man was shot in the face while dining at the popular Muelle Uno on Tuesday night in what police suspect was a gangland settling of scores linked to drug trafficking.
The 47-year-old victim was sitting outside a restaurant at the busy portside complex when the gunman approached at around 10.30pm.
At least one attacker opened fire before fleeing the scene on foot, leaving the man with a serious facial injury.
Doctors initially feared for his life, but he has since stabilised and remains in hospital recovering.
Government subdelegate Javier Salas confirmed on Wednesday that a drug-related settling of scores is the principal line of inquiry being pursued by the Policia Nacional.
Officers are still working to identify and arrest those responsible.
Attack in front of diners
Witnesses reportedly saw two men descend the stairs leading into Muelle Uno’s commercial area before shots were fired.
However, Salas declined to confirm how many people participated in the attack, saying that the circumstances remain under investigation.
The 112 emergency service received the first report of a firearms incident at around 10.30pm.
Paramedics, Local Police and Policia Nacional officers were dispatched to the scene, where a large security cordon was established.
Investigators questioned diners and other witnesses who were present when the shooting took place.
One member of staff at the nearby Saloniki restaurant said colleagues heard the gunshot and believed the injured man was Turkish, although authorities have not officially confirmed his nationality.
Large crowds had visited the area to see the FIFA World Cup trophy, which was being exhibited in Malaga.
The incident came just four days after 20-year-old Nacho was shot dead while sitting on a bench near his home in Malaga’s Barcenillas neighbourhood.
The construction worker, who had no criminal record or links to drug trafficking, was hit in the back and leg after three men approached him shortly before midday last Friday.
Despite his injuries, he managed to reach a nearby supermarket and ask for help before being rushed to hospital, where he died later that evening.
Police believe the three Swedish suspects arrested over the killing mistook Nacho for somebody connected to their criminal rivals.
The three men, who are allegedly linked to organised crime in the Swedish city of Malmo, were arrested within hours and subsequently remanded in custody.
There is currently no suggestion that the Barcenillas murder and the Muelle Uno shooting are directly connected.
However, the two attacks in less than a week have intensified concerns about armed violence in Malaga and the wider Costa del Sol.
Malaga mayor Francisco de la Torre had already called on Spain’s central government to ensure that the Policia Nacional and Guardia Civil had sufficient resources to confront organised crime – before the Muelle Uno shooting occurred.
‘Our police will always collaborate, but it is clear that this is primarily an issue for the state security forces and central government,’ he said.
De la Torre also criticised the ease with which drug traffickers operate along the Andalucian coast.
He called on the government to take seriously the presence of what he described as around 600 drug-trafficking boats used to bring illegal products into the country.
Investigators are continuing to examine security footage and witness accounts from Muelle Uno as the search for the gunman remains ongoing.
