At least one dead, four injured in school shooting in southern Philippines

MANILA, Sept 18 — At least one person was killed and ​four others injured in a shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines on ‌Friday, the provincial governor said.

The incident follows two shootings since June ⁠at schools in ​the south of the country. ⁠School shootings were previously rare in the ‌Philippines.

The Department of ‌Education said it was deeply concerned over the ⁠reported shooting in Banga town ⁠in South Cotabato.

Provincial Governor Reynaldo Tamayo told Reuters at least one person was dead and four wounded but provided no details on the shooter or casualties. Police had earlier confirmed a shooting ‌had taken place.

A student last ​month live-streamed himself shooting and killing another student in a classroom in Zamboanga before taking his own life.

In June, at least three students were killed and about 20 others injured an attack at a public high school in Tacloban, where two classmates opened fire ​on campus.

The Philippines has relatively strict gun ownership ‌regulations, including background ‌checks ⁠and psychological evaluation requirements, although illegal firearms remain in circulation.

The incident also follows a high-profile incident in Thailand in August, where a student went on ‌a shooting rampage at a ​school on the outskirts ‌of the capital Bangkok.

(Reporting ⁠by ​Nestor Corrales and Karen Lema; Editing by David Stanway, ​Martin Petty)

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