LASHKAR GAH, , Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- An insider attack against police in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province claimed the lives of nine police personnel on Thursday, a local official said.

"A man in police uniform, obviously affiliated with the armed militants, opened fire on police personnel in a checkpoint outside Helmand's provincial capital Lashkar Gah early today morning, killing nine personnel on the spot," the official told Xinhua but declined to be identified, saying authorized officials would talk to media.

Meanwhile, spokesman for Helmand's provincial government Omar Zawak confirmed the incident without providing information on casualties, saying investigation has been initiated into the case.

The poppy-growing Helmand province has been the scene of Taliban-led insurgency over the past decade.