IRAQ: Bombs and mortars and ... earthquakes?!!

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It’s not enough that Iraqis have to contend with stray mortar shells and suicide bombers. On Wednesday, police and residents in Kut, south of Baghdad, reported three earthquakes. The first temblor at 2 p.m. shook the town for about a minute, but caused no serious damage. There was an aftershock at 2:15 p.m. and another quake just after 10 p.m.

Police in Kut said people were scared and remained indoors, though most assumed the tremors were the result of a bombing or large explosion. There were no casualties.

The Arabic language website, Council for the Development of Iraqi Gulf Relations, reported that witnesses heard announcements from the mosques, urging them to offer up a special prayer — called the Salat al Ayat — reserved for catastrophic events such as earthquakes and hurricanes.

One police official said they are waiting for a fourth earthquake. So far, nothing greater than 2.5 magnitude has registered on the U.S. Geological Survey website.

— Kimi Yoshino in Baghdad