Explosions rocked the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi late yesterday in what appeared to be attacks on judicial buildings, a security official said, a day after more than 1,100 inmates escaped during a prison riot there.

Ten people were slightly wounded in one of the blasts that targeted a court in the north of the city, said Mohammed al-Hijazy, a spokesman for Benghazi security operations.

“Assailants threw an explosive device under a car as it was parking in front of the court,” he said.

Another explosion occurred in front of an office belonging to the justice ministry, he added, but it was not immediately clear exactly what had happened in that incident.

Hijazy said there had been two blasts in the city, which occurred around the time families were breaking their Ramadan fast.

Residents living near the court said the building, and others nearby, had sustained significant damage. Pieces of glass and rubble were scattered on the ground.

“It was very loud and I saw the smoke,” resident Hassan Bakoush said. “Some balconies of nearby buildings are damaged.

Officials said the escapees included criminals from other African states

Armed violence and lawlessness, caused in part by militia groups who often do as they please, has hobbled governance in large areas of the oil-producing North African state following the 2011 war that toppled Muammar Gaddafi. Earlier, officials said that about 100 inmates out of 1,117 who escaped during a riot in Kuafiya prison on the outskirts of Benghazi on Saturday had been recaptured.

Officials said there had been an attack on the compound from outside as well as a riot inside, after which some prisoners set their clothes and bedsheets on fire.

Guards then opened the gates to let them escape the fire, Justice Minister Salah al-Marghani told reporters in the capital after visiting Benghazi. Residents had helped guards to arrest some escapees.

Mohammed Sharif, head of security in Benghazi, said some prisoners had turned themselves in and others had been captured.

“The prison is back in operation as of this morning,” he said.

“Seventy prisoners were brought in initially. Another 30 were caught in the town of al-Marj and seven in Ajdabiyah. They will be brought back to Kuafiya,” he said, referring to towns in eastern Libya.

Officials said the escapees included criminals from other African states.

Prime Minister Ali Zeidan confirmed the incident but gave no numbers.

He said residents had carried out the attack because they did not want the jail near their homes.

Benghazi has seen a wave of violence since last year with numerous attacks on security forces as well as foreign targets, including the assault on the US mission last September in which the US ambassador and three other Americans were killed.

Saturday’s jail break came as hundreds of protesters attacked the Benghazi and Tripoli offices of Libya’s Muslim Brotherhood and the headquarters of a liberal coalition in the capital after demonstrations sparked by assassina-tions in Benghazi turned violent late on Friday.