Three Libyan soldiers died in a bomb attack on their patrol in the eastern city of Benghazi, a military spokesman said on Wednesday, updating an earlier toll.

"An explosive device that was concealed in a rubbish bin blew up near a patrol of the Al-Khandak Brigades," killing one soldier on the spot while the other two later died of their injuries, said Abdullah al-Shaafi.

Three other soldiers were wounded in the late Tuesday attack, he said.

An earlier toll said one soldier was killed and three were badly wounded when assailants shot at the patrol from a car and then sped away.

Benghazi, the birthplace of the 2011 Libyan revolution, has seen several bombings and attacks against security services and Western diplomatic missions in recent months, highlighting the inability of the authorities to establish effective security in the country.

The attacks have been blamed on radical Islamists, like the one last September 11 against the US consulate which killed four Americans, including ambassador Chris Stevens.