Iraq's interim President, Iyad Allawi, has declared a state of emergency throughout the country to last for 60 days.
He said the measure, equivalent to martial law, would apply to all of Iraq except the Kurdish north.
The declaration was made following an upsurge in the number of deaths among Iraqi security forces during a wave of attacks in the past week.
Three bomb explosions have been heard in Baghdad today, the last of which was located in the city centre.
Earlier, at least 22 officers were killed in attacks on police targets in the western Iraqi province of Al-Anbar.
Several dozen attackers were reported to have stormed the police station in Haditha, 120 miles west of Baghdad.
There was also an attack on a police station in a neighbouring town.
Yesterday, there was a wave of attacks on police stations in Samarra and Ramadi, both of which are also in the Al-Anbar province.
There has been speculation that the co-ordinated assaults were an attempt by insurgents to relieve the pressure on Fallujah, which is being targeted by US forces.
