Driver blows himself up in Tel Aviv

Police tape cordons off the crumpled frame of a car driven by a suicide bomber.

TEL AVIV, Israel (CNN) -- A security guard opened fire on a car that was charging toward the entrance of Tel Aviv nightclub early Friday, foiling what could have been a disastrous suicide bombing, police said.

The attacker detonated explosives that were either inside the car or strapped to his body after the guard opened fire, police said. Six people were standing outside the club at the time, police said, but only one was wounded. Two people were treated for shock.

"There was an explosion in the car, and the terrorist died," said Maj. General Yosef Sedban, head of Tel Aviv police district. "Nothing was left of him."

The incident occurred outside Studio 49, a popular disco on Tel Aviv's Kibbutz Galuyot Street, shortly after 1 a.m. (7 p.m. EDT). Police said a club security guard noticed a vehicle driving toward the disco and began firing at the driver, just before many small explosions were heard.

The attack came on a night when many Israelis traditionally go out to celebrate the beginning of their weekend. Authorities said about 100 people were inside the nightclub at the time, and a successful attack could have resulted in many deaths.

It was not immediately clear if the attacker had explosives strapped to his body or if the vehicle was to be used as a car bomb, police said. Sedban said bomb squads were checking to see if any other bombs were in the area, because "a lot of small bombs exploded all around."

The explosion marks the fourth suicide bombing in Israel since Sunday. Those terror attacks have killed five people -- three in Netanya on Sunday and two in Rishon Letzion on Wednesday. The third bombing occurred in northern Israel but resulted in no civilian casualties.