Shia rivals of Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi have made big gains in Saturday's parliamentary elections, partial results suggest.

With most votes counted, a bloc headed by cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and another led by a militia leader are ahead, voting officials are quoted as saying.

They suggest Mr Abadi's governing alliance is running third.

The election was the first since the government declared victory over so-called Islamic State (IS) last year.

Aida AYSA,

“Khalg gazeti”