Updated

Syrian activists say that the death toll from two car bombs that struck two small villages in the central province of Hama has risen to 23 people, including 14 children.

Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday that the figure was likely to rise further. The rigged vehicles exploded Friday in the villages of Jadreen and Humayri, which are about a 20-minute drive, or 19 kilometers (11 miles) apart. It wasn't immediately clear if the two attacks were coordinated.

The bombings were also reported by state-run Syrian television on Friday.

Car bombs have been increasingly used by rebels fighting to overthrow the rule of President Bashar Assad, adding another grim dimension to a war that has already killed over 150,000 people.