The religious reference Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani called on Iraqis Friday to take up arms against ISIL terrorists marching on Baghdad, as thousands volunteered to bolster the capital’s defenses.

The religious reference Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani called on Iraqis Friday to take up arms against ISIL terrorists marching on Baghdad, as thousands volunteered to bolster the capital's defenses.

Ayatollah Sayyed al-Sistan called on the Iraqis to defend the country against the offensive spearheaded by the terrorist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

"Citizens who are able to bear arms and fight terrorists, defending their country and their people and their holy places, should volunteer and join the security forces to achieve this holy purpose," Sistani's representative announced on his behalf during the main weekly prayers in the Shiite shrine city of Karbala.

"He who sacrifices for the cause of defending his country and his family and his honor will be a martyr," he added.