Updated 3.30pm

Two hunters shot each other while in neighbouring Żabbar fields on Monday morning.

The men were in adjacent fields on Triq San Anard when shots rang out at around 7.30am.

A police spokesperson initially said the two had argued and fired at each other using their shotguns.

But the police later said the incident was an accident: both men had fired at the same turtle dove and accidentally sprayed the other with lead pellets, a police spokesperson said. 

The police are nevertheless investigating the case, he added. 

One of the men, a 36-year-old Żabbar resident, was taken to Mater Dei Hospital for treatment. The other man, who is 35 years old and from Għargħur, was taken to a health centre for treatment.

Both men suffered slight injuries in the incident.

Bird hunting during autumn is allowed between the beginning of September and the end of January.

Some 40 speicies of bird can be hunted from land but the European Turtle-dove (Gamiema) can only be hunted between 1st September and 30th September.