Kabul  - A suicide bomber dressed in police uniform detonated his explosives-filled vest Monday in front of a police station in southern Afghanistan, killing at least eight people and wounding several others, a government spokesman said.

The bomber tried to enter the provincial police headquarters in Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand province, but was stopped by security guards, said Daoud Ahmadi, spokesman for Helmand's governor.

"The bomber detonated himself after scuffling with security guards," he said. "So far, our information says that at least eight people, including policemen and civilians who were standing near the area, were killed."

Ahmadi said several other wounded policemen and civilians were taken to hospital.

The attack happened at the entrance of the station when a group of counternarcotics officers were leaving for a mission in the area.

"The target of the attack was the anti-narcotic police forces, and this is another example that shows the connection between the Taliban and drug mafia," Ahmadi said.

Helmand, which is the largest opium-producing province in the country, is also the main hub for Taliban insurgents.

Afghan and international military officials have repeatedly accused the Taliban insurgents of protecting drug traffickers and benefiting from the illegal drug business in the country.

Afghanistan produces more than 90 per cent of the world's opium.

The Afghan government started an eradication campaign in the southern provinces at the beginning of the year, aiming to reduce poppy cultivation by 30 per cent. (dpa)