A Libyan army spokesman said two car bombs have gone off in the eastern city of Tobruk, where the nation's elected parliament is temporarily located, causing casualties, the Associated Press reported.

Mohammed Hegazi said the bombs exploded in front of an oil institute early on Wednesday, Nov 12, but that it was not immediately clear how many people were killed.

He said the attack meant to "terrorize" state institutions and the parliament, as well as deliver a "we are here" message from militants.

According to Hegazi, the blasts have the hallmarks of extremists from the eastern city of Darna who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Libya's elected parliament was forced to relocate to the far-eastern city of Tobruk after Islamist-allied militias took over the country's capital, Tripoli, and the second-largest city of Benghazi.