An explosion has rocked the area near Egypt's High Court of Justice in central Cairo, government officials have confirmed.

Brigadier General Abdel Fattah Othman, a spokeman of the ministry of interior, said nine civilians were injured in the blast that occurred late on Tuesday. Most of the injuries were minor, he said.

Bomb experts were on the ground to investigate the blast, media reports said.

"It was not a car bomb. It was a homemade explosive device," Othman told Nile TV, adding that the blast damaged a number of shops.

He added that the device was placed near a private car that was parked near the metro station in Ramses Street near the court.

Egypt has witnessed a series of suicide bombings, assassinations and attacks over the past year after the military overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi.

Morsi's ouster sparked a wave of attacks targeting mainly the police and army.

PHOTO CAPTION

Student protesters hold a rally at Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014.

Aljazeera