MOSCOW, August 17 (RIA Novosti) - Investigators have said that a bomb attack that killed at least 20 people in the south Russian republic of Ingushetia on Monday may have been aimed at the destabilization of the republic.

According to investigators, the blast went off near a local police building when a mid-sized GAZelle truck, believed to be driven by a suicide bomber, rammed into the gates and entered the premises.

Vladimir Markin said the blast, which also left 60 people injured, "was committed against police as a result of their professional activities, and was also aimed at destabilizing the situation in Ingushetia."

More than 80 firefighters were involved in tackling the blaze, which was further complicated by exploding ammunition in the weapons store.

The attack is the latest violence in the volatile republic, which borders Chechnya.

Ingushetia's construction minister was gunned down in his office last Wednesday. The murder followed the killing of a Supreme Court judge and the attempted assassination of the republic's president, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, in late June. The Ingush forensic chief was also killed last month.