BAGHDAD - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has offered members of armed groups in Mosul an amnesty in exchange for surrendering their weapons.

He says the gunmen have 10 days starting Friday to hand over medium and heavy weapons and receive unspecified monetary compensation in return.

The statement also offers amnesty to those described as "duped" into taking up arms against the government as long as they were not involved in crimes against civilians and did not "have blood on their hands."

Al-Maliki's amnesty offer comes one day after he flew to Mosul to take personal charge of a major crackdown against al-Qaida in Iraq militants in the northern city.