A local police force member shot dead six of his colleagues in an outpost in southern Zabul province on Saturday, local officials confirmed.

The incident took place in a police check post in Shinkai district in the province.

After killing his colleagues, the attacker reportedly handed the check post over to the Taliban with weapons but the security forces re-taken the control of the check post after few hours, a police security official in Zabul, Ghulaam Gailani Farahi, said.

The Taliban was claimed responsibility for the incident adding that the attacker was their man.