Earthquake Rocks Turkey and Syria Border: 6.3 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Region

Panic spread throughout the Middle East on Monday as a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Turkey-Syria border region.

The epicenter of the quake was located in the southeastern province of Hatay, Turkey, according to the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency.

The quake was felt in neighboring countries, including Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel.

Turkey’s interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, said on Twitter that there were no reports of casualties or major damage.

The quake was also felt in the cities of Antakya and Iskenderun in Turkey, as well as in the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Damascus.

In Antakya, a city of about 250,000 people, the quake caused buildings to shake for several seconds and sent people into the streets in a state of panic.

The region has seen several earthquakes in recent years, including a 6.8 magnitude quake in January 2020 that killed 41 people in Turkey and injured more than 1,600.

The latest earthquake comes as tensions in the region remain high over the conflict in Syria and the ongoing war in neighboring Iraq.

The US Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the Turkish city of Reyhanli, near the Syrian border.

It had a depth of about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

The quake was also felt in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The tremors were felt as far away as the Israeli city of Haifa, more than 400 kilometers (250 miles) away.

The full extent of the damage caused by the quake is still being assessed.

For the latest updates on the quake, view full coverage on USNN.