(VOVworld) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Monday that Iraq's army and Shiite militia have launched an offensive against Islamic State (IS) in Salahuddin province, a stronghold of the Islamist fighters north of Baghdad.

Armed forces participating in the campaign are asked to guarantee the safety of locals in Salahuddin (photo: reuters)

Abadi promised to wipe out the Islamist militants out of Salahuddin and offered IS supporters a final opportunity to lay down their arms. He warned that the IS supporters will be punished if they insist on standing with terrorism. PM Abadi urged the soldiers and armed forces participating in the campaign to guarantee the safety of locals in Salahuddin.