University bombs kill 2

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Bystanders and media gather at the site of multiple bombings outside the main campus of Cairo University in Giza, near downtown Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, April 2, 2014.  (AP Photo/Mohammed Asad)

Three bombs exploded Wednesday outside Cairo University's main campus, hitting riot police deployed against near daily protests by Islamist students and killing at least two people — a civilian and a police general — and wounding seven others, including several top police officers.

The bombings were the latest in a campaign of attacks targeting Egypt's police and military that began with the ouster last summer of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. The attacks are taking place amid a fierce crackdown by security forces against pro-Morsi protesters and members of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.

The staggered nature of the blasts in a relatively close area introduced a new tactic. The first two bombs, which security officials said were hidden at the foot of a tree, went off less than a minute apart. The third, concealed up another tree at a different location outside the campus, exploded nearly two hours later.

The first two blasts killed two and wounded seven, the officials said. No one was harmed by the last explosion.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.

Egyptian state TV described the bombs as crude and homemade.

Cairo University, along with other university campuses, has been a major centre for the near daily protests by pro-Morsi students against the military-backed interim government — since the monthslong crackdown has largely crushed protests elsewhere. The university protests often turn into clashes with security forces.

Wednesday's bombs appeared to target riot police deployed outside Cairo University to confront any protests, though none were going on at the time of the blasts.

The slain police officer was identified as Brig. Gen. Tareq al-Margawy, said the officials.

The wounded included four civilians and three senior police officers, including Maj. Gen. Abdel-Raouf El-Sirafy, who is the deputy chief of police in the Giza province, parts of which are located in the Greater Cairo area. Cairo University's main campus is in Giza.