'The nightmare is nearly over': Syrian army advances toward Islamic State fighters

'I am so happy that the liberation is imminent...'

The Syrian army and Iraqi forces are reportedly launching offensive attacks in the captured cities of Palmyra and Mosul, as ISIS struggles to fight back.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The situation seems dire for the Islamic State as Syrian troops have begun the process of clearing three entry points into the ancient city of Palmyra of explosives and mines.

Meanwhile, Iraqi forces have stormed Mosul and are reported to "have begun the first phase of conquest operations."

Troops seem to be advancing at a steady rate, indicating ISIS's eventual takedown may occur in these key cities sooner than expected.

Homs Governor Talal Barazi announced: "We might witness in the next 48 hours an overwhelming victory in Palmyra. The army is advancing in a precise and organized way to protect what is possible of monuments and archaeological sites."

The Syrian army is being backed by Russian warplanes as they make their way through Palmyra.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group's director, Rami Abdel, told AFP, "The regime forces are now two kilometres (a little more than a mile) away on the south side and five kilometres (three miles) away on the west side."

Since its capture, Palmyra has been the victim of several historically religious injustices and the beheading of an antiquities expert in the ancient city.

Abdel stated the ongoing fights "are fierce," but reported he was "so happy that the liberation is imminent... and that the nightmare is nearly over, before it is too late, before the total destruction of the ancient city."

Experts claim if the Syrian army prevails and takes back Palmyra, not only will the remaining heritage sites be rendered safe once more, but the army will also take control of an expanse of land from central Syria extending to the Iraqi border.

Meanwhile, Iraqi forces have launched an attack in the second city of Mosul. If their forces are successful, it will be the fifth city to be regained from ISIS forces.

In a statement released by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, it is currently unknown how long the operation will take until its objective has been secured, and the complete recovery of Mosul is not expected to come swiftly.

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