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Iraqi forces have assumed formal control of the capital, Baghdad, and other cities, six years after US-led forces invaded Iraq.
US troops began withdrawing from the country's major cities and towns as the midnight deadline passed on Tuesday for troops to hand over security to Iraqi forces.
Fears of attacks
Iraqi security forces increased checkpoints and banned motorcycles from the streets of Baghdad, amid an increase in violence ahead of the US withdrawal.
Al-Maliki on Monday described the June 30 deadline for the US withdrawal as a "turning point" for the country and he declared Tuesday the country's "National Sovereignty Day" and a public holiday.
But all police and army leave has been cancelled amid fears of fresh attacks.
Motorcycles have been banned indefinitely after they were used last week in three separate attacks, killing more than 100 people.
Airport closed
Iraqi officials have also warned citizens to avoid crowded places.
Despite heightened security, a roadside bomb attack on a US convoy in eastern Baghdad wounded six bystanders a day earlier, police said.
In western Baghdad, a car bomb exploded in the parking area of a police academy in Al-Furat district, killing one police officer and wounding seven policemen.
In Sunday's attacks, fighters were believed to have taken advantage of a major sandstorm that reduced visibility to just a few meters in some parts of Baghdad.
The sandstorm forced Baghdad's airport to close and delayed Iraq's first oil bidding process in more than 30 years as international oil companies and representatives could not land in the capital.
PHOTO CAPTION
Iraqi security forces march in Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, 115 kilometers (70 miles) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, June 29, 2009.
Agencies
