Islamic State group claims deadly car bombs in Libya

The Islamic State group has claimed it carried out car bombings that killed at least 31 and wounded 40 others in eastern Libya.

A brief statement by an IS branch in Libya said two suicide bombers targeted the forces of General Khalifa Haftar in Qubba, "in revenge for the blood of our Muslim people in the city of Derna", an apparent reference to airstrikes on its eastern stronghold on Monday after the IS murdered 21 Egyptians it was holding hostage.

Qubba is controlled by Haftar's forces, who are backed by Libya's internationally recognised Tobruk government, and lies just 30km west of Derna.

This is a message to anyone who is tempted to attack the soldiers of the caliphate or any Muslim.

The statement was signed by the IS branch in the eastern Cyrenaica region and was accompanied by pictures of the purported suicide bombers identified as Bitar al-Libi and Abu Abdullah al-Jazrawi.

It said they carried out "two suicide car bombings targeting the operations room of the tyrant Haftar killing and wounding dozens in retaliation against the conspiring Tobruk government".

"This is a message to anyone who is tempted to attack the soldiers of the caliphate or any Muslim," it added.

A local official and medics said 31 people were killed in the bombings, including five Egyptians, and 40 others wounded, revising an earlier toll of 25 dead and 30 injured.

Security sources said three simultaneous attacks targeted police headquarters in Qubba, as well as the home of the speaker of the internationally recognised parliament and a petrol station.

Medics said parliament speaker Aguila Salah Issa was not at home at the time of the bombings.

They said the majority of the casualties were at the petrol station where a long queue of motorists had been waiting to fill up.