Three shot dead, 15 wounded ahead of polls in Philippine Muslim enclave

Three people were killed and 15 others wounded in a shooting incident that erupted hours before polls were set to open on Monday in a semi-autonomous Muslim region of the Philippines. The violence occurred in the Bangsamoro region as the area prepared to choose its first elected parliament.

In response to the violence and to secure the electoral process, security has been tightened significantly across the region, with more than 20,000 personnel deployed to voting areas. The ongoing election represents the culmination of an on-and-off peace process that began in the late 1990s.