The sun sets behind ruined columns at the historical city of Palmyra, in the Syrian desert, where IS forces are trying to advance. Source: Supplied

But Palmyra, a desert oasis of temples and colonnaded streets, could soon be wiped off the map as Islamic State forces close in.

IS, which has destroyed ancient ruins in its rampage across the Middle East, is on the doorstep of one of the most beautiful world heritage sites in the region and Syrian troops are desperately fighting to hold them at bay.

The man in charge of preserving Palmyra is petrified of what might happen if they fail.

“I am living in a state of terror,” says Syrian antiquities chief Mamoun Abdulkarim.

“(Islamic State) will blow everything up. They will destroy everything.”

The group is hell bent on writing its own version of history by razing buildings, destroying artefacts, literature and anything that doesn’t conform to IS’ extreme version of Islamic law. The group’s attempts to advance on the UNESCO World Heritage site in Palmyra has a lot of people very worried.

On Wednesday, IS launched an assault on the desert oasis city and by Saturday the jihadists pressed their offensive and seized the northern part of the modern town of Palmyra but were driven out by regime forces.

“IS’s attack was foiled,” said provincial governor Talal Barazi. He told AFP the army was “still combing the streets for bombs” after recapturing the northern districts.

“The situation in the city and its outskirts is good,” he said. But the Observatory said clashes were still under way Sunday in the northern suburb of Al-Amiriyah, around the prison east of the city and around Haql al-Hail gas field northeast of Palmyra.

Originally established as a caravan stop in the Syrian desert, Palmyra boomed after being incorporated into the Roman Empire and featured opulent buildings in the Graeco-Roman style.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the jihadists were still just a kilometre away from the UNESCO-listed heritage site and its adjacent museum housing thousands of priceless artefacts.

“IS is still present outside the city, to the south and east,” Abdel Rahman said.

UNESCO has urged both sides to spare Palmyra.

A partial view of the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, 215 kilometres northeast of Damascus. Syrian regime troops pushed Islamic State group jihadists back from the ancient desert city of Palmyra after clashes that left dozens dead in the city's north. AFP PHOTO/JOSEPH EID Source: AFP

A partial view of the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, 215 kilometres northeast of Damascus. Islamic State group fighters advanced to the gates of ancient Palmyra on May 14, 2015, raising fears the Syrian world heritage site could face destruction of the kind the jihadists have already wreaked in Iraq. AFP PHOTO / JOSEPH EID Source: AFP

Abdulkarim expressed relief that IS was unable to attack the important sites in Palmyra. “We have good news today, we feel much better,” Abdulkarim told AFP.

“There was no damage to the ruins, but this does not mean we should not be afraid.”

The jihadists launched their offensive from their stronghold in the Euphrates Valley to the east, triggering ferocious fighting with the army, which has a major base just outside Palmyra.

The antiquities chief said he had been terrified that IS would destroy the first and second century temples and colonnaded streets that are among Palmyra’s architectural treasures.

Abdulkarim said he remained concerned for Palmyra in light of the destruction wreaked by IS on other pre-Islamic sites.

The theatre at the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, 215 kilometres northeast of Damascus. Islamic State group fighters advanced to the gates of ancient Palmyra on May 14, 2015, raising fears the Syrian world heritage site could face destruction of the kind the jihadists have already wreaked in Iraq. AFP PHOTO / JOSEPH EID Source: AFP

Syrian citizens walking in the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, 215 kilometres northeast of Damascus. Islamic State (IS) group jihadists, who boast of having destroyed ancient sites in Iraq, threatened the ancient jewel of Palmyra, a UNESCO heritage site in the Syrian desert, on May 14, 2015. AFP PHOTO/JOSEPH EID Source: AFP

One of the most of the group’s most insidious tenets is their wanton demolition of important archaeological sites as the group has left a path of destruction in the cities they have claimed.

IS previously captured and destroyed the UNESCO World Heritage city of Hatra in early April.

A week later the group destroyed the ruins of Nimrud. The ruins were was once the jewel of Assyria and considered to be one of the biggest archaeological finds of the 20th century. A video released at the time showed IS militants proudly taking sledgehammers and power tools to break apart precious artefacts before rigging the building with barrels of powder intended to explode the site.

In February footage surfaced showing IS militants smashing artefacts in the Mosul Museum and in January, the group burned hundreds of books from the Mosul library and Mosul University, including many rare manuscripts.

The group’s motivation for destroying the sites typically centre on their believe the sites promote idolatry — the worship of an idol or physical object as a deity that violates their fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law.

A Syrian policeman standing on the sanctuary of Baal in the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, 215 kilometres northeast of Damascus. Islamic State (IS) group jihadists, who boast of having destroyed ancient sites in Iraq, threatened the ancient jewel of Palmyra, a UNESCO heritage site in the Syrian desert, on May 14, 2015. AFP PHOTO/JOSEPH EID Source: AFP

While the Islamic State was thwarted in their attempts to advance on Palmyra, the group has claimed another crucial city of Ramadi. IS sealed its capture of Ramadi yesterday after a dramatic pullout by Iraqi forces.

Hundreds of fighters and civilians were killed in both battles, which also added thousands more families to the millions already displaced by conflict on either side of the border.

The effective loss of the capital of Iraq’s largest province marked one of Baghdad’s worst setbacks since it began a nationwide offensive last year to reclaim territory lost to the jihadists in June 2014.

“Anbar operations command has been cleared,” Muhannad Haimour, spokesman and adviser to the provincial governor, told AFP.

Several security officials confirmed the retreat.

IS fighters, who already controlled most of the Anbar provincial capital, used a wave of suicide car bombings to take most of the city and raised their black flag over the provincial headquarters.