Iraq's interim government has announced further security measures ahead of next week's election - the first since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
The measures include the closure of Baghdad Airport, traffic restrictions and an extension of curfews in the run-up to the polls.
The government said it hoped the new measures would guarantee a peaceful poll, which is scheduled to take place on 30 January.
Meanwhile, an Islamist group linked to the Al-Qaeda network claimed to have shot dead 15 Iraqi national guards that it kidnapped last week.
The claim, which has not been independently verified, was made on the group's website.
It is known that 15 Iraqi soldiers were kidnapped by gunmen earlier this month near a US military base in the western province of Al-Anbar.
They were ambushed as they left work at the base.
Iraq's interim Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, earlier said that it would be impossible to provide full security for the parliamentary elections due to take place next weekend.
Mr Allawi said the security measures being taken by his government were comprehensive, but he said they could not prevent all attacks by insurgents.
