[WATCH] Shooting in Dingli: Victim is Simblija landowner Noel Ciantar, shooter still on the run

An armed aggressor is still on the run after opening fire on 49-year-old Simblija landowner Noel Ciantar in Dingli.

The incident happened in the area known as Wied Ħazrun, in the environs of the medieval village of Simblija in the outskirts of Dingli.

The shooting happened on Friday at around 12:15pm, and the victim is being treated in Mater Dei hospital.

The police said the victim was shot in the back, and was certified to be suffering from serious injuries.

The relationship between the victim and the aggressor has not yet been established.

The male victim lives in the property where the shooting occurred. Police spokesperson Brandon Pisani said the police will speak to the victim once he has received the necessary medical treatment at Mater Dei Hospital.

Police said the aggressor is still on the run and believe he could still be armed.

No further details were divulged. Forensic police are on site of the shooting.

Earlier this year, Ciantar was involved in an altercation with cyclists eager to reclaim the right of passage across a scheduled medieval cluster of dwellings. He claims to be the owner of the 18th century hamlet.

Is-Simblija is a medieval hamlet of rural dwellings on the edge of a cliff, above a fertile valley called Wied Hażrun. Aside from being a national monument the site was the subject of an extensive EU-funded restoration project in 2003.

More to follow.