Moscow  - At least 19 people died and 69 injured when a suicide bomber drove a car packed with explosives into a police headquarters in the autonomous Russian republic of Ingushetia Monday, reported Interfax news agency.

The attack occurred in the city of Nazran, a spokesman for the state prosecutor's office told Interfax. The spokesman said the bomber drove his car into the door of the police headquarters and detonated what was believed to have been 50 kilograms of explosives.

The building went up in flames and more explosions were feared, since it also served as a munitions depot.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a statement condemning the attack, and ordered security in the region to be stepped up.

Ingushetia, along with the rest of the Caucasus region, has become increasingly unstable in recent months as Islamist militants seek independence from Moscow, launching regular attacks on officials and police officers.

In late June, the president of Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, was seriously wounded in an attack. And on Wednesday, Ingushetia's construction minister was shot to death in his own office. (dpa)