4 earthquakes rattle Iran-Iraq border, felt in Baghdad

A series of four earthquakes with a magnitude of at least 5 hit along the Iran-Iraq border and rattled even Baghdad and parts of the Iraqi countryside on Thursday, striking in the same area that saw a temblor in November that killed over 530 people.

An earthquake was felt at around 10 a.m. (0700 GMT) in Baghdad and central Iraq, according to residents and state-run media.

The tremor and its aftershocks caused some panic in central Baghdad, with residents exiting buildings, witnesses said.

State TV said there were no reports of important damage or fatalities. Electricity and internet services were not interrupted in central Baghdad.

The quake's magnitude was 5.5, according to the United States Geological Survey.

A powerful earthquake hit the Iran-Iraq border region in November, killing at least 530 people in Iran and six others in northern Iraq.

The U.S. Geological Survey said three of the quakes struck near the Iraqi city of Mandali, followed by one that struck near Mehran in western Iran.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Iranian state television said people rushed into the streets as the temblors hit.

In November, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the same region, killing over 530 people and injuring thousands in Iran alone. In Iraq, nine people were killed and 550 were injured, all in the country's northern region, according to the United Nations.

Iran sits on major fault lines and is prone to near-daily earthquakes. In 2003, a 6.6 magnitude quake flattened the historic city of Bam, killing 26,000 people.