At least nine people, including four police officers, have been killed in suicide attacks near a police station in Afghanistan southern province of Helmand, officials have said.

The first attack happened when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives near police vehicles outside the station, Abdul Raziq, a district police chief, said.

The second attacker struck as security forces rushed to the scene.
  
"There were two successive suicide attacks in Girishk town against a police convoy that I was in," Raziq said. 

"The second bomber detonated  as we - the police and army soldiers - responded to the first attack."

"Both suicide attackers were on foot. I managed to survive the attack."

'Enemies of Afghanistan'

Zemarai Bashary, an interior ministry spokesman, said seventeen other people, including soldiers and civilians, were injured in the bombings.

He blamed the attacks on "the enemies of Afghanistan's people, the terrorists". The term is commonly used by Afghan officials to refer to Taliban fighters.
  
"This was a most cowardly attack by the enemies of the people and we strongly condemn it," Bashary said.  
  
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack was similar to scores of other attacks carried out by Taliban fighters.
  
Taliban fighters are particularly active in Helmand and make frequent use of suicide attacks in their campaign against the government and its allies.

Tens of thousands of foreign military forces are stationed in Afghanistan under Nato and a US-led coalition.