Three people were wounded in an explosion aimed against a district head of Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, a local police spokesman said.

"The incident occurred on early Friday morning. According to preliminary information, an Oka car parked at a roadside blew up when a motorized escort of Khasavyurt district head Dzhambul Salavov was passing by," the spokesman said.

He added that three bodyguards of Salavov were wounded in the blast.

Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus republics, especially Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia, have seen an upsurge of militant violence lately, with attacks usually focusing on police and officials.

MAKHACHKALA, August 27 (RIA Novosti)