Tokyo, June 27: A total of 10 people sustained minor injuries after a 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck the central Japanese prefecture of Yamanashi and nearby areas, local media reported on Saturday.

The temblor occurred at around 10:29 p.m. local time on Friday (local time) at a depth of about 20 km. It measured lower 6, the third-highest level on Japan’s seismic intensity scale of 7, in Fujikawaguchiko Town and Upper 5 in Otsuki City, both in Yamanashi Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The prefecture is known for Mt. Fuji.

An intensity of lower 6 means it is difficult to remain standing, and unsecured objects like furniture may topple over, and windows may be damaged, reports Kyodo News, quoting the agency.

Such a level of shaking was last recorded in Yamanashi in 1924, prompting some to worry about possible volcanic activity of Mt. Fuji. But the JMA said after the quake that no abnormalities had been detected in the mountain’s volcanic activity, reports Xinhua news agency.

Experts said it is unlikely to cause Mt. Fuji to erupt, considering the mechanism of the quake that occurred near the boundary between tectonic plates.

The earthquake also affected Kanagawa and Shizuoka prefectures, as well as Tokyo, where shaking was clearly felt. No tsunami warning was issued.

Earlier on Friday, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 struck Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo.

The quake’s epicentre was located at a latitude of 35.7 degrees north and a longitude of 140.6 degrees east.

The quake was the second to strike near Tokyo in less than an hour. At 11:49 a.m., a 4.1-magnitude earthquake hit southern Ibaraki Prefecture, with tremors also clearly felt in the capital.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, at least four people were injured after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan.

The temblor, revised up from a preliminary magnitude of 6.9, occurred at around 7:30 a.m. local time off the eastern coast of Iwate Prefecture at a depth of about 40 km. It measured upper 6, the second-highest level on Japan’s seismic scale of 7, in Hashikami Town and lower 6 in Hachinohe City, both in Aomori Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

Washington, June 27: The United States launched airstrikes on Iranian military targets after Tehran attacked a Singapore-flagged commercial cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, marking Washington’s first direct military response since the two countries agreed to a ceasefire earlier this week.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeted Iranian missile and drone storage sites as well as coastal radar installations after Iran hit the M/V Ever Lovely with a one-way attack drone on June 25. The vessel was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast when it was attacked.

“CENTCOM forces conducted strikes against Iran, June 26, as a powerful response to yesterday’s attack on a commercial ship that was transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” the command said in a statement.

It said US aircraft struck “Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites after Iran hit M/V Ever Lovely on June 25 with a one-way attack drone.”

CENTCOM said the attack on the merchant vessel “clearly violated the ceasefire.”

“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire. Furthermore, Iran’s dangerous behaviour undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor,” it said.

The military said it would continue protecting commercial shipping through the strategic waterway.

“CENTCOM forces continue to provide safe passage coordination and support to commercial vessels transiting the strait. The U.S. military remains present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect.”

Hours before the operation, President Donald Trump criticised Iran’s attack on the cargo vessel.

“I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “They shouldn’t be doing that. You’ll find out.”

Earlier, Trump wrote on social media that Iran had launched four one-way attack drones at ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. He said US forces intercepted three of them, while the fourth struck the cargo ship.

“Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement,” he wrote.

Iran did not immediately acknowledge responsibility for the attack on the vessel. However, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing Iranian state media, projectiles struck a telecommunications tower in Sirik, a port overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, after the US retaliation.

The newspaper reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that “any new folly will be met with a strong response that will shatter the illusions of the aggressors in the region.”

According to The Washington Post, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard also claimed it had thwarted part of the US operation and forced American forces to retreat, although there was no immediate confirmation from the US military.

The New York Times reported that the US strikes lasted about 90 minutes and were intended as a retaliatory measure rather than a resumption of major combat operations, citing US officials familiar with the operation.

The latest exchange comes only days after Washington and Tehran agreed to halt hostilities following weeks of military confrontation.

The ceasefire framework called for an end to military operations and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz while both sides begin negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme and other outstanding issues. Friday’s attack on the Ever Lovely and the subsequent US retaliation now raise fresh questions over the durability of that fragile agreement.

Caracas, June 27: Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said that La Guaira state, which was hard hit by Wednesday’s twin earthquakes, had been placed under military control to facilitate rescue efforts and ensure security.

“We want to tell everyone that La Guaira state is now fully militarised and fully under the control of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces,” Rodriguez said during a televised briefing on Friday (local time).

Rodriguez said acting president Delcy Rodriguez had ordered the measure to ensure public safety, maintain internal order and facilitate rescue operations by Venezuelan emergency responders and international rescue teams.

He said the majority of rescue personnel were operating in Caraballeda, Macuto, Los Corales and Catia La Mar — areas that had been severely affected by the earthquakes, reports Xinhua news agency.

Rodriguez called on the public not to travel to La Guaira to avoid congesting evacuation routes and routes used for transporting rescue teams and equipment.

He also called on Venezuelans to donate supplies, including water, food, mattresses, clothing, blankets, light and heavy equipment, including earthmoving machinery, through collection centres set up in Caracas.

He thanked thousands of volunteers, officials and rescue organisations for their tireless efforts to save lives and assist those affected.

Technical and humanitarian assistance from more than a dozen countries has begun arriving in Venezuela to help victims and support early recovery efforts after Wednesday’s devastating earthquakes.

Rescue teams and specialised equipment have arrived in Venezuela since Thursday from countries including India, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Qatar, as well as from the UN system.

Wednesday’s earthquakes killed at least 920 people and injured more than 3,360, according to the latest official report, severely damaging infrastructure along the country’s central coast.