Bomb blast outside Cairo University wounds nine people

Explosion came after policemen clashed with student protesters earlier in the day

CAIRO, EGYPT: According to the Egyptian police officials, a bomb exploded outside the gates of Cairo University on Wednesday, wounding at least nine people including policemen.

Police cordoned off the area and scoured it with sniffer dogs. A police official said five of the nine wounded were policemen stationed outside the campus to quell protests.

The blast took place near the site of a bombing in April that killed a Police General, and where the riot policemen are now stationed on foot and in armored vehicles to confront the frequent protests by pro-Islamist students.

The police official said the explosion came after policemen had clashed with student protesters earlier in the day.

An earlier attack in April was claimed by Ajnad Misr, a militant group that had killed several policemen in bombings around Cairo.

The group had said its attacks were in response to a deadly police crackdown on militants following the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi last year.

It pledged retaliation last week after police quashed protests in several universities across the country.

A student in Alexandria University later died of gunshot wounds sustained during the clashes.