KABUL: A strong earthquake rattled Afghanistan early Friday.
There were no immediate reports of damage, but nervous residents ran from their homes.
The US Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 and was centered near Charikar, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) north of the Afghan capital, Kabul.
The tremor in the Hindu Kush foothills struck 18 kilometers (about 11 miles) below the surface.