The Syrian army with the help of Russian air support is just four kilometers (2.5 miles) away from the gates of Palmyra. The ancient city was considered the crossroads of the old world and an oasis in the Syrian desert. Middle East Online reports: Troops and allied militia backed by Russian air power have since early March been pushing an advance around the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Pearl of the Desert”. They are now just four kilometres (2.5 miles) from the gates of the city that fell to the jihadists in May last year, sending shock waves around the world. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, the advance has been “slow” despite some 800 air strikes by Russia and the Syrian regime this month alone. Last week, the army recaptured a strategic hill at the southwestern entrance of Palmyra, four kilometres from the city. ISIS has fiercely resisted the advance, killing at least 26 pro-government fighters on Monday, the Observatory said. Aamaq, an ISIS-linked website, claimed that 30 troops were killed in an attack by a jihadist suicide bomber. “Meanwhile, warplanes believed to be Russian struck parts of Palmyra city and its surroundings in [...]