A man was shot dead in Amsterdam West on Tuesday night in what is likely to be yet another gangland killing.

The incident happened on the corner of the De Clercqstraat shortly after midnight. Parked cars and a tram were also hit by bullets but no one else was injured.

Eyewitnesses in a water pipe café told news magazine Nieuwe Revu the man who died was in his car, waiting at the traffic lights. His body was found next to the car and it is unclear if he left the vehicle voluntarily or was dragged out by his attackers, the Telegraaf says.

The eyewitnesses said shortly before the murder, two men in helmets came into the café, one with a Kalashnikov rifle and the other with a gun. They were apparently looking for a man who had just left.

Another person in the café then drew a weapon and the shooting began, the eyewitnesses said. They say the man from the car was hit by mistake. Police have not confirmed this story.

There has been a spate of gangland killings in Amsterdam in recent months and several innocent people have been shot dead.