Authorities in the former Soviet republic of Georgia say an explosive device was planted on the car of a driver for the Israeli Embassy but was defused.

Shota Uitashvili, spokesman for the Georgian Interior Ministry, said the driver noticed a package attached to his car's undercarriage on Monday and called police.

Police found a grenade in the package and it was defused, Utiashvili said. He did not specify where the car was parked when the device was discovered.

The Israeli Embassy in Tbilisi declined comment.