"The security situation has much improved with the arrival in town of a large number of police and soldiers," said policeman Ali Chehrazi.

Hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers, revolutionary guards and Bassiji, voluntary militiamen, touting Kalashnikov rifles and automatic pistols, patrolled the streets or stood guard at key intersections.

This followed a day of looting, attributed by some to villagers from outlying areas spared by the earthquake, of badly needed humanitarian supplies.

A flood of vehicles bringing in worried and grieving families also snarled traffic and contributed to chaos Sunday.

Authorities Monday barred any individuals from entering the city without prior authorization.

Journalists, however, were being given a free hand and allowed to go as they pleased around the city that was devastated by Friday's killer quake which registered 6.3 on the open Richter scale.

Road blocks had been set up on highways leading in and out of town to stop people trying to reach Bam to inquire about missing friends and relatives.

Some 30,000 were believed to have died in the quake.

"Yesterday, there was a lot of traffic in town and all around, but now we've set up road blocks and patrols" and things have quietened down, one soldier said.

Increased security has also allowed rescue teams and those bringing in aid to go about their business.

"Thanks to our controls, the rescue teams can go everywhere to help survivors," the soldier added.

Relief teams from 21 countries were active Monday in and around Bam, helping notably set up field hospitals to cope with the thousands of those injured.

Several trucks carrying relief aid were attacked and looted Sunday in scenes which one taxi driver, Vali-ollah Dadbar, described as understandable.

"There are lots of people under the rubble, very few survived, so it's fairly normal that people who have nothing to eat and nothing to keep warm should attack vehicles carrying supplies. It's the opposite that would have been surprising," he added.

Traffic on the main road linking Bam to Kerman, the town with the nearest large airport, was also nearly back to normal.

In another sign the town was back under control, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mohammad Khatami separately toured the city Monday.

TERRA.WIRE