A bomb has been defused near Cairo's Tahrir Square as the capital prepares for rival protests on the anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

Rosa El-Youssef, a state-owned political magazine, said the remote-controlled explosive device was found on a wall between a garage and a petrol station outside its offices on Al-Qasr Al-Aini Street.

Security forces have been combing the area using sniffer dogs and bomb detectors.

Another bomb was reportedly defused in 10th of Ramadan City in Sharqiya Governorate.

A number of bomb attacks have taken place in the capital since the overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on 3 July.

In September, a bomb targeted the convoy of Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim which he survived unscathed.

Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, has seen frequent attacks on security and army targets by Islamist militants, killing dozens of soldiers and policemen since Morsi's ouster.

Both supporters and opponents of the deposed president have called for demonstrations on Sunday, the anniversary of the 6 October War against Israel.

There have been mounting fears of a violent showdown as both camps plan to converge on Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the 2011 revolution and demonstrations against Morsi's rule.