A suicide car bomb attacked a police checkpoint in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Dagestan on Thursday, killing two policemen and injuring 17 others, the regional interior ministry told the Interfax news agency.

"According to new information, 17 people were wounded. Six of them are police officers and 11 are civilians including a child," a spokesman for the Dagestani Interior Ministry said.

The police killed and wounded in the blast "prevented a planned terrorist act," the spokesman said earlier.

"That car was stopped deliberately. According to preliminary information, finding himself in a hopeless situation, the suspect set off the explosive device. This means that the police officers prevented a planned terrorist act," the spokesman said.

According to the press service, the explosion occurred Thursday evening at the Arbakash traffic police station near the border between the republic's Khasavyurt and Kazbek districts.

"According to early reports, a Priora vehicle pulled over at the police checkpoint and blew up. What is certain is that two policemen have been killed, and seven more injured," a source said earlier.