Egypt's interior ministry received an anonymous phone tip warning that a bomb had been placed in the ministry's Cairo headquarters, state news agency MENA quoted a senior security source as saying on Monday.

The official said that the ministry had received a telephone call early Monday from a source outside Egypt informing officials that there was a bomb in the ministry's main building.

Ministry officials informed bomb squads and civil protection personnel who scanned the building but failed to find any trace of explosives. The phone call was subsequently deemed a false alarm.

Egypt's interior ministry is located in downtown Cairo near Tahrir Square, the site of frequent protests and clashes over the past two years.

The incident has aggravated already-existing tensions between interior ministry personnel and the public. During recent demonstrations, protesters often clashed with police in the area.

Since last year, stone walls have been erected in several of the streets leading to the ministry building, cutting it off from traffic. A heavy security presence has remained deployed in the area.