Two police officers killed in explosion near Cairo mosque

Pursuit of militant through tourist area ends in chaos and fatalities

An ambulance arrives at the scene of an explosion behind a mosque near the Al-Azhar University (EPA)

Two policemen have been killed in Egypt after a device exploded in the heart of Cairo, close to the city's famed Al Azhar mosque.

The officers were chasing a militant through the Egyptian capital's ancient Islamic quarter when the device was detonated.

At least three civilians were also wounded in the blast on Monday evening, including a Thai student who suffered light injuries.

The area around Al Azhar mosque is home to crowded markets and is a popular tourist destination.

Security forces were chasing the man as part of an investigation into an attempted attack against a police patrol in western Cairo on Friday.

When the officers caught the militant, "one of the explosive devices in his possession exploded, causing the death of the terrorist and the martyrdom of a police officer from national security and an officer from Cairo investigations [department]," a spokesperson for Egypt's interior ministry said.

State television broadcast a black-and-white photo of the suspect and identified the man as Al-Hassan Abdullah.

Security forces have been waging a campaign against Islamist militants over the past year, focusing on the country's Sinai peninsula.

Attacks in Cairo are relatively rare, though a roadside bomb in Giza killed three Vietnamese tourists and a Egyptian guide in December.

Additional reporting by agencies