Four explosions were first heard at 11:35 pm local time (2135 GMT) from the centre of Tripoli, followed by others about 15 minutes later.
Then at 1:45 am (2345 GMT) four powerful blasts shook the district where Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi's residence is located not far from the city centre.
An army barracks in the same sector had been the target of several raids last week.
Earlier this week, government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim said NATO air raids on Libya had killed 718 civilians and wounded 4,067 since they were unleashed on March 19 and up to May 26.
Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011