BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) – Iraq’s election has shown insurgents they “cannot win,” Prime Minister Ayad Allawi declared yesterday, urging national unity a day after millions streamed to the polls. A statement attributed to al-Qaeda said the elections only strengthened the militants’ resolve.

Officials counted ballots but shied from estimating turnout or saying when the count would be complete. US soldiers stood guard Monday and election workers cheered as trucks loaded with the first batch of ballots from the provinces rolled into Baghdad’s Green Zone for the next stage of counting.

Iraqi officials said partial results could be released as early as today. Members of the main Shiite Muslim alliance said they expect to gain the biggest share in the new government – something sure to cause tensions with Sunni Muslims whose turnout was low.

Stringent security – including a car ban and thousands of troops on the streets – prevented rebels from mounting catastrophic attacks during Sunday’s voting, although eight suicide bombers struck in and around Baghdad, killing at least 44 people.

More than 100 attacks were reported overall against polling centres nationwide on the day of the historic election, Iraqi and US officials hailed Iraq’s fledgling security services for preventing major unrest.

But the rebels struck back Monday, killing three US Marines in a roadside bombing south of Baghdad.

And videotape aired yesterday by an Arab television station claimed insurgents had shot down a British military plane on election day, killing 10 Britons.

It was Britain’s biggest single loss of life since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.