At least 14 people where killed when a suicide bomber blew up a car in the Russian republic of North Ossetia. STORY HIGHLIGHTS- Violence and political instability plagues North Ossetia
- The car explodes near a market
- North Ossetia-Alania
Moscow, Russia (CNN) -- A car bomb exploded in the Russian republic of North Ossetia on Thursday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 85 more, government officials said, according to the Interfax news agency.
The vehicle blew up near a market in the city of Vladikavkaz, the republic's leader, Taimuraz Mamsurov, told Interfax.
"Information that I possess indicates that the explosion in Vladikavkaz was organized by a suicide bomber, who drove a Volga 3102 car to near the entrance to the market," Mamsurov said.
Investigators said the explosive device contained the equivalent of 40 kilograms of TNT.
Separately, an anonymous caller threatened to set off a bomb at a school in the city.
"The (North Ossetian) Education Ministry has received a telephone call from an unidentified man, who said that an explosion would occur in a Vladikakvaz educational institution," the ministry said.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin condemned the bombing, saying, "The crimes like the one that was committed in the North Caucausus today are aimed at sowing enmity between our citizens. We have no right to allow this.
North Ossetia and the rest of the Caucasus region have been plagued with violence and political instability.
North Ossetia borders Georgia's South Ossetia region, where a conflict erupted between Georgia and Russia in August 2008. The area also borders the long-turbulent breakaway region of Chechnya.
The market has seen other terrorist attacks in the past.
In November 2008, a suicide bomber blew up a bus at a nearby bus station, killing 12 people and wounding more than 40. An explosion killed more than 50 people and wounded 300 in March 1999.
CNN's Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report.