Two Afghan police officers and one civilian are dead after a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a meeting between tribal leaders and Canadian provincial reconstruction officials in Kandahar on Monday.

No Canadians were injured in the attack.

The meeting was being held in Kandahar's Dand district, about 15 kilometres south of Kandahar City.

Officials said a man dressed as an Afghan police officer approached the main gate of the compound and, after being stopped by security, blew himself up.

Zalmai Ayubi, the provincial governor's spokesman, said three other police officers were wounded in the incident.

The Canadian officials and tribal leaders were holding their weekly meeting to discuss the status of various road and canal projects.

The outside of the compound was damaged by the bomb blast, officials said.

Meanwhile, a roadside bomb aimed at Afghan soldiers killed four civilians Monday in Kandahar's Panjwaii district. The roadside attack only lightly damaged the Afghan army patrol vehicle but it hit a nearby group of civilians, killing four and injuring eight, said Ayubi.

Officials are blaming both attacks on Taliban insurgents but the group has not claimed responsibility for either incident.

The Taliban have concentrated their insurgency efforts in southern Afghanistan with attacks up 30 per cent since 2007.

With files from The Associated Press