Helicopters fly over Baghdad to back up Iraqi security forces' search operations on Jan. 12, 2010. Iraqi security forces blocked large parts of Baghdad on Tuesday morning and conducted search operations in some neighborhoods, causing large-scale lockdowns in the capital. (Xinhua/Li Laifang) Photo Gallery>>>

    BAGHDAD, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces blocked large parts of Baghdad on Tuesday morning and conducted search operations in some neighborhoods, causing large-scale lockdowns in the capital, a military spokesman said.

    "We have taken preventive security measures and blocked parts of Baghdad districts to search some neighborhoods," Qassim Atta, spokesman of Baghdad operations command, told reporters.

    Hundreds of civilian cars have trapped in the morning on many main streets of the Iraqi capital as the Iraqi Army and police checkpoints blocked the streets, bridges and the neighborhoods since early hours of the day.

    Later in the day, Atta said that the operations command, in charge of Baghdad security, ordered to open Baghdad bridges and most other checkpoints to allow trapped civilian cars to pass.

    A police source told Xinhua that the Iraqi forces concentrated their search operations on most of Baghdad eastern neighborhoods, including the Shiite bastion of Sadr City neighborhood, which has long been the stronghold of Mahdi Army militia, loyal to radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

    The source could not tell the reason behind such sudden and wide-ranging operations, but said they are possibly based on information on bomb attacks in the capital.

    Baghdad has witnessed a number of high-profile bomb attacks in recent months, mainly targeted the government buildings, killing and wounding thousands of Iraqis.

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