The explosion happened outside a public baths

The blast hit a truck filled with security forces near the Dagestani capital Makhachkala.

Some of the dead were Interior Ministry troops, others were passers-by.

Dagestan, which borders on Chechnya, is an ethnically diverse mainly Muslim region with a history of violence by both rebel groups and criminal gangs.

Much of the violence is thought to have spilled over from the Chechnya conflict.

The explosion happened at around 1420 local time (1020 GMT) outside public baths frequented by troops in a suburb of the city.

It is believed to have been caused by a remote-controlled device. Police think a bomb packed with pieces of metal was buried in the road.

The blast shattered windows in nearby buildings.

AP news agency said blood-stained bodies lay on the street after the attack.

An attack at the same spot killed seven troops and injured another four from the same brigade, the 102nd, in January 2002.