Iraq will close its borders and impose curfews across the country as it ramps up security for Thursday's election, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday. The curfews will run from 10 p.m. local time (1900 GMT) until 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) each day, beginning Tuesday night and ending on Saturday morning. No vehicles except those with special permits will be allowed on the streets. Civilians will be banned from carrying firearms outside their homes even if they have permits, Reuters quoted officials as saying. Iraq will also close all international border checkpoints and airports from Wednesday until Friday. The measures are part of extensive security arrangements designed to thwart insurgent attacks on polling day. Thousands of Iraqi police and soldiers, backed by the U.S. military, will be on the country's streets to try to ensure Iraqis can vote safely for their first full parliament since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
