Magnitude 5.3 earthquake strikes near Iraq’s Sulaimaniya -USGS

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck near the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Local medics said no injuries were reported and officials said there was no significant material damage.

USGS said the quakeoccurred 71 km southeast of the city at a depth of 10 km.

Sulaimaniya's seismic monitoring office said it took place near the town of Darbandikhan and was felt in several other towns nearby.

Media reports inneighbouring Iran said the quake had a magnitude of 5.1 and shook the bordertown of Ezgeleh, but that there were no immediate reports of damage.

"Thisearthquake occurred in Iraq and was felt in Ezgeleh, and thankfully so far nodamage has been reported," provincial emergency management head JalilBalayi told the semi-official news agency Mehr. (Reporting by Ali Sultan andCatherine Evans in London, additional reporting by Dubai newsroom Editing byAlexandra Hudson, John Davison and Clelia Oziel)