Three known shootings have rocked Marbella in less than seven weeks, including two daylight attacks and the murder of a prominent plastic surgeon inside his clinic.
The other attacks have taken place on residential streets and just metres from a hotel on the Golden Mile.
The latest victim, a 57-year-old surgeon, was shot several times in the head shortly before 6pm on Wednesday.
He has been named locally as Dr Alexander Aslani, the founder and director of the Cirumed Clinic.
The killings come despite the continued deployment of the Government’s ‘Plan Costa del Sol’, an operation created to tackle organised crime in Malaga province.
It comes after a police helicopter was filmed scouring a neighbourhood in Marbella late on Tuesday night.
August 24: Street vendor shot dead
A 33-year-old man was killed after being shot twice in the abdomen during the early hours of August 24.
Emergency services received reports of a fight and gunfire on Calle Pintor Pacheco at around 2am.
The victim, identified by local residents as a Senegalese street vendor who also occasionally worked in security at nightlife venues, was found lying in the road.
Videos shared online showed him still moving his legs as motorists stopped and attempted to help him.
Paramedics were unable to save his life and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
One resident said they initially heard three shots, followed by two more around 10 minutes later.
The Policia Nacional’s Specialist and Violent Crime Unit launched a murder investigation, but no arrests have been announced.
September 8: Man shot near Golden Mile hotel
On September 8, a Dutch man was shot in the leg during a confrontation close to an apart-hotel on Marbella’s Golden Mile.
The shooting happened at around 2.15pm on Calle Ramon Gomez de la Serna, a busy area close to the beach and central Marbella.
Witnesses reported hearing numerous gunshots and seeing two suspected attackers running from the scene.
Policia Local officers used CCTV footage to identify the vehicle allegedly used by the assailants, triggering a pursuit during which the suspects reportedly abandoned the car and attempted to escape on foot.
Three men – two Dutch nationals and one Danish citizen – were arrested.
The wounded man, who was also Dutch, suffered a gunshot injury to his lower leg. His condition was not considered life-threatening.
The Government’s representative in Malaga, Javier Salas, said investigators believed the shooting was linked to a confrontation between groups involved in drug trafficking.
October 7: Plastic surgeon executed
On October 7, a 57-year-old plastic surgeon was shot several times in the head inside Cirumed Clinic in the Real Panorama complex.
The attack took place shortly before 6pm, while it was still daylight and the clinic was operating.
The victim has been named locally as Dr Alexander Aslani, Cirumed’s founder and medical director.
Aslani was an internationally known body-contouring specialist who had previously led the plastic surgery departments at the Quiron hospitals in Malaga and Marbella.
Emergency services received the first alert at around 5.40pm after witnesses reported several shots inside the premises.
Paramedics attempted to stabilise the surgeon but were unable to save him.
Sources close to the investigation said an attacker entered the clinic, opened fire and fled.
A community appeal circulated after the killing claimed two people wearing dark clothing escaped on a black Yamaha XMAX or TMAX-style motorbike. It also sought information about a black Audi resembling an A5.
Police have not officially confirmed those details.
No arrests had been announced by Wednesday night and investigators had not disclosed a possible motive.
Other gun violence
Several other firearms incidents have occurred close to Marbella but outside the municipality and are therefore not included in the headline total.
On July 28, a 31-year-old Lithuanian man was shot several times in a public car park beside Sonora Beach in Estepona.
The victim suffered wounds to his abdomen, leg and buttocks before being taken to Marbella’s Hospital Costa del Sol.
In the early hours of October 4, witnesses reported shots being fired from a vehicle on the AP-7 in Estepona.
An Audi Q8 subsequently fled towards Marbella, where Policia Local officers attempted unsuccessfully to intercept it. No injuries were reported.
Marbella’s three shootings since August have left two people dead and one injured.
