Aftershocks like those that just rocked Turkey and Syria are once again cascading after a major earthquake and can last for months, but are becoming less frequent over time, experts say, AFP and Agerpres reported.

On Monday, two strong earthquakes (magnitude 6.4 and 5.8) struck northern Syria and the Turkish province of Hatay, which was hardest hit by the devastating February 6 earthquake that killed more than 45,000 people.

These are not independent earthquakes, but aftershocks of the first shock, like the thousands of earthquakes that have been reported since February 6 along the Anatolian fault. Those that shook the ground on Monday were south of that fault, an area that has not yet been affected.

According to statistics, the strongest aftershocks occur within three days after an earthquake – the February 6 earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 was followed by a strong aftershock of 7.5.