Sydney’s escalating underworld violence has claimed another victim, with a man shot during a weekend ambush dying in hospital.

Dawood Zakaria, 32, was shot in the head when a when a Mercedes pulled up alongside the Toyota HiLux he was a front-seat passenger in and at least one gunmen opened fire just after 5pm on Sunday.

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Zakaria underwent surgery but has since died in hospital, NSW Police said.

The HiLux driver, lawyer Sylvan Singh, 25, was shot in the leg and arm and remains in a stable condition in hospital.

It is understood an alleged Alameddine crime network figure was the intended target. He and another man in the car were uninjured.

The Mercedes was found destroyed by fire in Merrylands West a short time later.

News of Zakaria’s death comes as police launched a mega taskforce designed to crush criminal activities of gangs after a spate of public shootings, including Sunday’s incident and the death of Condell Park plumber John Versace.

Taskforce Falcon in NSW will oversee and try to bring to justice alleged criminals behind public place shootings, arson attacks and kidnappings dating back to December.

The 150-strong taskforce, including 100 detectives, will oversee and coordinate more than a dozen investigations.

“We will not tolerate these lawless thugs getting out there with their vendettas against each other and putting in danger innocent victims in our community,” police minister Yasmin Catley said on Tuesday.

“Public safety is the No.1 priority for the NSW police force.”

Deputy Commissioner David Hudson explained the uptick in violence was most likely related to gang turf wars over drugs spilling out on the streets.

He vowed that any criminals, whether they played a small or large role, would be on the police’s radar.

“We will pursue all those involved, whether you’re staging a vehicle to be used as a getaway vehicle, steering that vehicle, where you are pulling the trigger for hire, or whether you are the person who orchestrated the contract on that individual,” he said.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers.

- With AAP