Libya explosions target government buildings

Two loud explosions rocked the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Sunday in what appears to be an attack on judicial institutions there, a resident and a security source have said.

Resident Hassan Bakoush told the Reuters news agency by telephone that he heard an explosion at the court in the north of the city.

"It was very loud and I saw the smoke. Some balconies of nearby buildings are damaged," he said.

A security source said the was an explosion in the vicinity of an office of the justice ministry and another near a court in the south of the city.

Video posted by residents online showed several vehicles destroyed by the explosion at the courthouse in northern Benghazi, which was the site of the first protests against dictator Muammar Gaddafi in early 2011 that led to his ouster.

Another courthouse in the eastern part of the city was also targeted, AP news agency reported.

Some injuries have been reported by Al Jazeera sources, but details were not immediately available.

Suleiman El Dressi, a Libyan journalist, told Al Jazeera that authorities had begun their investigation at the scene.

"The attorney general has ordered prosecutors and [the] security apparatus to move to the scene and start investigations. Security sources say a security meeting is taking place in a military base at Benghazi," he said.

It was unclear who was responsible for the attacks, which come after 1,117 prisoners escaped from Kuafiya prison on Saturday following a riot and an external attack on the prison.

Al Jazeera and wire services