By NNN-KUNA,
Baghdad : The Diwaniya governorate was slammed with a curfew Sunday evening, a day before Iraqi forces take over security responsibilities from the coalition troops.
Diwaniya Governor Hamed Al-Khodhari, speaking to KUNA, said the curfew started at 1800 hours local time and would last until further notice.
The curfew, he said, was a precautionary measure to avoid security uncertainties that might derail the handover of security responsibilities.
The Iraqi forces, tasked with protecting the Diwaniya governorate, have already been trained and received the military hardware for their missions, he said.
A ceremony to hand over the security responsibilities would be held Monday to be attended by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and other officials.
Diwaniya, 180 km south of Baghdad, has been witnessing calm over the past three months.