Strong quake hits southwest Iran

Iran's official news agency is reporting a 6.1-magnitude earthquake today hit a sparsely populated mountainous area near the Iraqi border.

The report said the quake hit the town of Murmuri, about 500 kilometers southwest of the capital Tehran at 7:02 local time (0232 GMT).

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damages. The temblor could be felt in neighboring provinces and the US Geological Survey put the quake's measure at 6.3.

Iran is located on seismic faults and earthquakes are frequent. In 2003, some 26,000 people were killed by a magnitude- 6.6 quake that flattened the historic southeastern city of Bam.