Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) jihadists have destroyed a Christian convent situated 18km north of the ISIS occupied the city of Mosul, Rudaw quoted the Mosul governor as saying.

Governor Nawfal al- Akub said the convent in the town of Tal Kef, was being maintained by an undetermined number of Catholic nuns, but was destroyed by the ISIS terrorists after capturing Mosul in June 2014.

There are no reports of casualties or the status of the nuns, the report added.

Meanwhile, reports have indicated that ISIS jihadists are advancing the Christian town of Sadad near the province of Homes in Syria. The advance of the ISIS in Sadad could threaten the Christians in the area as the jihadists treat them extremely harshly, often pressuring them to convert to Islam or face a violent death.

The jihadists have already captured the nearby town of Maheen on Friday, killing nearly 50 government forces who were defending the city. Maheen is strategically placed nearby a highway that connects Damascus to Homs, potentially opening the northern part of Syria to ISIS advance.

According to BBC, heavy fighting is still raging on the outskirts of Sadad, home to about 15,000 mostly Christians with 14 churches and monastery. "The latest development comes amid air campaigns in Syria by Russia and a US-led coalition," BBC said, although Maheen fell to the terrorist control despite the joint U.S. and Russian air strikes.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports sounds of an explosion in Sadad on Nov. 3, the second in Nov. "A massive explosion has been heard in Sadad town which is inhabited by Christians in the eastern countryside, likely caused by IS suicide vehicle, amid clashes between IS and the regime around the town," it said.

On Nov. 4, the Observatory reported, "Violent clashes continued till midnight yesterday between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against members of the 'Islamic State' in the outskirts of Sadad town which is inhabited by mostly by Christians, and information about casualties in the ranks of both parties."

A separate report by Reuters has claimed that ISIS/ISIL jihadists continue to gain some grounds despite Russia's air strikes and the announcement of President Barack Obama to send special operations troops into Syria to advise troops on the group to stop the Islamic terrorists from advancing.

As this developed, the Syrian Democratic Forces army, which has been fighting ISIS/ISIL across the country, announced on Saturday that it will be intensifying its campaign to liberate the southern countryside of al- Hasakah that has fallen under the terror group's hands.

"Today, we declare the first step of our military action within a plan of liberating the whole Syria from the terrorist gangs. On this base, we declare the start of a campaign to liberate the southern countryside of al- Hasakah with the participation of all factions of Syrian Democratic Forces and the support of U.S.-led coalition warplanes," the group's General Command said in a statement.