Libyan authorities say the death toll in a twin car bombing near a mosque in a residential area of the eastern city of Benghazi has risen to 33.

Local health official Hani Belras Ali said on Wednesday that 47 people were also wounded in the Tuesday night attack in the Salmani neighborhood. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Benghazi police say the attackers timed the second bomb to go off as residents and medics gathered to evacuate the wounded from the first blast, aiming to cause a maximum of casualties.

The United Nations has condemned the bombings, saying that direct or indiscriminate attacks on civilians are prohibited under international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes.