Three explosions jolt southern Iran - agency

TEHRAN, Jan 11 (Reuters) Three strong explosions jolted southern Iran today, the semi-official Fars news agency reported, but gave no information about possible casualties.

''Three explosions were so strong that they shook windows of houses,'' the agency said.

It was not clear what had caused the explosions in Khorramshahr in the province of Khuzestan, which borders Iraq.

An Oil Ministry official said the explosions occurred far away from any oil facilities in Khuzestan, the heartland of Iran's oil industry, where small bombs damaged 15 pipelines and one oil well in September 2005.

Khuzestan has been simmering with unrest among the province's mostly Arab population for more than a year.

Slightly more than half of Iran's 69 million people are Persians and the rest are ethnic Azeris, Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, Baluchis and Lors.

About 3 per cent are Arabs and authorities are sensitive about protests and discontent in the southwestern Arab territories.

REUTERS SB RK1612