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Bandung Police officer reportedly shot a man, identified only as AT, while attempting to break up a street fight in Bandung'€™s red-light district, Saritem, on Saturday at around 5:30 a.m.

The shooting took place on Jl. Ipong in Andir district, Bandung, West Java, near the Andir police precinct.

Andir precinct chief Comr. Janter Nainggolan said there had been a fight between two groups of Saritem patrons, four to six people in all, tribunnews.com reported.

'€œThe police officer, who happened to be passing through the area, tried to break up the fight but failed to do so,'€ said Janter on Saturday.

'€œThe assailants started to attack the officer instead,'€ Janter said.

As he was being beaten, the officer fired a shot, and the bullet pierced the calf of AT, who was then immediately rushed to the Kebon Jati Hospital before being transferred to the Hasan Sadikin Hospital for treatment.

The police, Janter said, were currently conducting a further investigation into the incident.

'€œWe are still questioning some witnesses, including AT. I will inform you once we have completed the investigation,'€ he said, adding that the cause of the fight was still unknown.

Saritem is Bandung'€™s oldest red-light district, dating back to the colonial era.

Apart from those directly employed in the sex business, many other Saritem residents earn a living from red-light customers, including running food stalls and massage parlors.

Authorities have repeatedly tried to shut down the area to crack down on prostitution.

The city administration first talked about shutting down Saritem in 1998 as part of a morality campaign.

The administration reportedly spent billions of rupiah to build the Darut Taubah Islamic boarding school in the middle of the red-light district in 2000.