Iraq on Tuesday said it has blocked its border crossing point with neighboring Jordan due to the ongoing anti-government Sunni protests and security deterioration in the western province of Anbar, a provincial police source told Xinhua.

"The Iraqi authorities after midnight ordered to close the Trebil border crossing with Jordan until further notice," the source from the provincial police command told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The closure of the border would negatively affect the commercial traffic between Iraq and Jordan which has been active lately, mainly due to the paralysis of commercial movement between Iraq and Syria.

Trebil crossing is vital for Anbar province and its closure would create significant impact on the business and markets. But it is unlikely to affect the rest of Iraq's provinces as the country has crossings with both Turkey and Iran, which are known for the large amounts of commercial activity that pass through them.

The halt of movement in Trebil came six days after clashes erupted between Iraqi security forces and anti-government Sunni protesters in Hawijah, where hundreds of security members backed by helicopters stormed a sit-in by Sunni Arabs.

The operation sparked further clashes across Iraq between the Sunni tribes and the security forces.