Polls open for Iraqi provincial elections

BAGHDAD: Iraqis began voting on Saturday in the country's first elections since US troops departed, a key test of its stability in the face of a spike in attacks that has claimed more than 100 lives.

Polls opened about 7:00 am (0400 GMT) for Iraq's first vote since parliamentary elections in 2010, an AFP journalist said.

An estimated 13.8 million Iraqis are eligible to vote for more than 8,000 candidates, with 378 seats being contested. But the lead-up to the vote has been blighted by a spike in violence that has left more than 100 people dead in the past week, and 14 election candidates killed since campaigning began.

Six of Iraq's 18 provinces will not be participating -- two because authorities say security cannot be ensured, and four because of various political disagreements.