A state security building in northern Cairo was hit by a car bomb in the early hours of Thursday, Aug 20 morning, Egypt's Ministry of Interior said, according to BBC News.

Six policemen were said to have been injured by the explosion in the northern Shubra district of the city. There were no reports of any deaths.

Residents across Cairo reported hearing and feeling a large blast just before 02:00 local time (00:00 GMT).

There have been several bomb attacks by Islamist militants in Cairo this year.

"A man suddenly stopped his car in front of the state security building, jumped out of it and fled on a motorbike that followed the car," a ministry statement said. "The car exploded wounding six policemen."

The blast left a crater in the street and partially destroyed the building. Locals said glass from blown-out windows was strewn across several streets nearby.

Militants based in northern Sinai - who are affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) - have been behind many of the recent bomb attacks in Cairo.

The Egyptian security forces have been the focus of the bombings and militants have vowed to continue targeting them.

No one has yet claimed to have carried out Thursday's attack in the capital. It comes just days after President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi approved new counter-terrorism laws designed to fight the growing jihadist insurgency.