Iraqis living abroad have begun casting ballots in their country's national election, as strict security measures begin going into effect across Iraq ahead of Sunday's vote.
Expatriate voting started today (Friday) and is under way in most of the 14 countries with designated polling centers(Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Jordan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States). Some 280,000 Iraqis have registered to vote, and the heaviest turnout is expected in Iran, where more than 60,000 Iraqis have registered.
At home, Iraqis were rushing to supermarkets and bakeries to stock up on essentials ahead of the start of extended curfews and a ban on automobile traffic.
But despite the heightened security, insurgents managed to kill four people in a car bomb attack near a police station in southern Baghdad today.
Information for this report is provided by AFP, AP and Reuters