UPDATE 1-Russian culture centre head wounded in Central African Republic assassination attempt -centre

The head of a Russian cultural centre in the Central African Republic was taken to hospital in the capital Bangui on Friday after an assassination attempt, the Russian Embassy said.

A spokesperson for the Russian Embassy said Dmitry Syty, head of the "Russian House" culture centre, had opened a mail bomb addressed to him on Friday morning. The package from an anonymous sender exploded, injuring him seriously.

The Embassy said it had tightened its own security measures following the attack, TASS reported.