Clashes intensified late Sunday evening between Al-Azhar students and Nasr City residents on streets surrounding the university's dormitories, Al-Ahram's Arabic website reported.

The locals threw empty soda glass bottles at the students from the roofs of buildings, as a lack of security forces on the scene allowed the altercation to develop into a street battle.

Ahram Arabib website reported that angry locals searched other residential buildings for Azhar students and dragged some out of rented apartments.

Meanwhile, Deputy of the Cairo Security Directorate Yehia El-Eraki told Al-Ahram's Arabic website that security forces had managed earlier on Sunday to contain the unrest caused when 300 Al-Azhar students blocked the neighbourhood's main road.

He added that an atmosphere of cautioned silenced reigned on Sunday night around the dormitories, with security forces' armoured vehicles stationed at its entrances and exits.

Clashes between the security forces in front of the main gate of Al-Azhar University's student dormitory and the pro ousted president Mohamed Morsi students started Sunday morning, with the police firing teargas and the students responding by throwing rocks at the security personnel.

The teargas caused tens of cases of faintings among students.

None of the students were arrested, El-Eraki stated, and traffic resumed as normal, with shopkeepers in the immediate vicinity of the dormitories re-opening their stores.

Hundreds of students, mostly supporters of ousted president Morsi, have been detained in recent weeks as police continue a four-month-long crackdown on members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Al-Azhar campus in Cairo has been the scene of ongoing protests by Islamist students since the start of its academic year in October.

On 21 November, a pro-Morsi student was shot dead during clashes with security forces at Al-Azhar University.

Police officials deny using anything other than water cannons and teargas to disperse student protests.