At least three students were killed and eight others injured in a shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines on Friday, according to the country's Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWP).

The shooting took place at Banga National High School in Banga town in South Cotabato province.

Banga Mayor Albert Palencia confirmed three students were killed and said the shooter was a ninth-grade student.

Earlier, the DSWD had reported that six students were killed and 17 others wounded, but later revised the death toll to three and the number of injured to eight.

Citing police, Palencia said the shooter was “part of a True Crime Community, an online group interested in violent crimes.”

The shooter turned the gun on himself after opening fire on fellow students, GMA Network reported.

Classes at all levels across Banga were immediately suspended following the incident, the Banga Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said.

The Department of Education said it was “deeply concerned” by the shooting and was coordinating with school officials, local authorities, and law enforcement agencies to establish the circumstances and provide assistance.

“Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our learners, teachers, and school personnel,” the department said.

The department also urged the public to refrain from circulating unverified information while authorities investigate the shooting.

Friday’s shooting came a month after a similar incident at Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the southern Philippines left two students dead, including the gunman, on Aug. 18.

Authorities have yet to disclose a possible motive for the latest shooting. (AA)