At least six policemen were killed and three others were injured early Friday morning in a bomb blast in Giza governorate's Haram district, Egypt's Ministry of Interior announced.

An Egyptian militant group called "Hasm" ("Resolve") claimed responsibility on Friday afternoon for the bombing in a statement issued on their website.

The interior ministry's statement said that the blast killed two police officers, a low-ranking policeman and two conscripts.

Three other policemen were injured and were transferred to hospital.

According to security sources who spoke with Ahram Arabic website, the explosive device was planted in a car parked next to a security checkpoint near Al-Salam mosque in Haram Street.

The device was detonated remotely, the sources added.

The "Hasm" group, which is believed to be connected to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, has claimed a number of attacks on police checkpoints in recent months.

The Giza prosecution is currently investigating the incident.

Facebook activated a safety check feature for users living near the site of the blast, allowing them to let family and friends know that they are okay.

According to reports, this is the first time the feature has been activated in Egypt.

Attacks against security forces have become common in recent years but are concentrated in North Sinai, where Egypt's army and police are battling an entrenched Islamist insurgency.