At least six Afghan policemen have been killed in a suspected 'insider attack' in the country's southern Helmand province, media reports citing local officials said Thursday.

The six policemen were reportedly found shot dead at a checkpoint in Helmand's Musa Qala district earlier on Thursday. Officials believe that they were killed by a colleague, who fled with weapons and a vehicle.

Taliban has since claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it had earlier recruited the policeman who carried out the attack. Afghan authorities have launched an investigation to determine if that was the case.

If confirmed, it would be the second such insider attack on Afghan security personnel in recent days. Earlier in the month, at least seven local police officers were killed in an insider attack in the Gereshk district of Helmand.

Besides, the latest attack comes just a day after at least two people were killed and more than fifteen others injured after a bomb planted on a motorcycle exploded at a market in Helmand's Sangin district on Wednesday evening.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack so far, local officials blamed the Taliban. Despite continued efforts by the Afghan national forces as well as international troops stationed in the country, the Islamist group still carries out such attacks regularly on both civilian and security targets.

Currently, there are over 100,000 foreign troops from more than 48 countries in Afghanistan to contain a resurgent Taliban insurgency. The US and other allied nations involved in the mission are currently making serious efforts to get the Afghan security forces ready and capable of handling the country's security before the planned withdrawal of coalition troops by the end of 2014.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has already begun the process of entrusting security responsibilities to Afghan forces in a gradual manner. However, there are wide concerns about their ability to counter Taliban insurgency without the same level of foreign military assistance and presence.

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