Security authorities raise alert status ahead of the special voting

Shafaq News/ Iraqi security forces have raised the alert status in preparation for the special polls scheduled for less than a week from today, Spokesperson for the Joint Operations Command, Major General Tahseen al-Khafaji, said on Monday.

In a statement to Shafaq News Agency, al-Khafaji said, "all the security forces are at the alert status C according to the security plan devised particularly to protect the ballot centers until the end of the polls."

"The votes will be cast inside the security and military units. There are special electoral IDs for the security forces," he continued, "if the officer was on vacation for any reason, he/she can vote at the nearest ballot center to him."

The Independent High Electoral Commission the eighth of October date for the special polls in Iraq.