Iraqis are voting in the country's first parliamentary elections since the withdrawal of US troops three years ago.

Polling is due to start at 07:00 local time (04:00 GMT) and close at 19:00.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is hoping to win a third term in office amid a growing insurgency in the west of the country.

Iraq is experiencing its worst unrest since 2008, with 160 people killed in the last week alone.

More than 20 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, with almost 50,000 polling stations open across the country.

(BBC)