MANILA: Five soldiers were killed in a shooting at a military camp in the southern Philippines, including the shooter, the military said on Saturday.

A soldier ran amuck after 1am on Saturday (1700 GMT on Friday), killing four service personnel at an army compound in Cagayan de Oro City, Major Francisco Garello, spokesperson of the 4th Infantry Division, said in a statement.

The shooter then went to other rooms, where two soldiers grappled with and killed him, the army said. “We assure the public that this is an isolated incident”.

Another person was critically injured. An internal investigation has begun to identify the cause and gaps in the recruitment and training process, the military said.

Shootings are sporadic in the Southeast Asian nation. In June, three people, including a former mayor, died in graduation day shooting in the capital Manila.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2023