Valuable Artifacts Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The robbery was noticed on Monday, when staff allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the inside.
The six missing sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the Roman era, one official informed the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the loss of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to improve protection and observation methods.
The director of internal security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".
He continued that security personnel at the institution and other persons were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It features historical records dating back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where proof of the most ancient linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, among the foremost cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The facility was forced to close in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was removed and preserved at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in 2018 and returned to normal in early this year, four weeks after opposition groups deposed the Assad regime.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partly ruined during the civil war.
The Islamic State group blew up several ancient buildings and historical sites at the ancient city, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a violation.
Numerous cultural items were also lost or stolen from dig sites and museums.
