BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraqis on Thursday went to 33,000 polling stations across the country at 7 a.m. Baghdad time, with a large explosion hitting central Baghdad moments later.

    About 15 million Iraqi voters were eligible to select 275 members of the new National Assembly on Thursday, choosing among 7,655 candidates running on 996 tickets. Complete returns were not expected until late December or early January.

    A few minutes after the country's landmark election kicked off, a powerful explosion struck the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses the Iraqi government offices and the US embassy, in central Baghdad as smoke rose over the area and sirens wailed, a police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

    There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage.

    Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Wednesday called on Iraqis to vote in the coming elections.

    "I call on you to participate actively in the December 15 election. I express my trust in the importance of this election and its results. So, my call to you, the Iraqi great nation, is only to remind you. Let us make tomorrow a national celebration and an historic day for national unity and a victory over terrorism," said Talabani in a speech on nationwide television.

    Talabani has served in the transitional government for 10 months. Iraqis will elect a legislature Thursday that will choose a new government. Enditem

    (Agencies)