At least six students have been killed and several others injured in a shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines.
The deadly incident occurred at Banga National High School in the town of Banga, South Cotabato province.
Provincial Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo confirmed that several people were killed and multiple others suffered critical injuries.
Local police and authorities are working to verify more details about the victims and identify the shooter.
School shootings have historically been rare in the Philippines. However, the latest incident comes after a series of recent security incidents, including other campus shootings earlier this year.
Last month, a student live-streamed himself shooting and killing another student inside a classroom in Zamboanga before taking his own life.
In June, at least three students were killed and about 20 others were injured in an attack at a public high school in Tacloban, where two classmates opened fire on campus.
The Philippines has relatively strict gun ownership laws, including background checks and psychological evaluations. However, illegal firearms remain in circulation.
The incident also follows a high-profile shooting in Thailand in August, when a student went on a shooting rampage at a school on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Following the latest incident, the Department of Education expressed deep concern over the violence as local law enforcement continued its investigation into the developing situation.
