Historic Artifacts Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.
The theft was found on Monday, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been broken from the interior.
The six missing statues were made of marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, a source informed the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a group of items", and that measures had been implemented to enhance security and observation methods.
The head of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He continued that security personnel at the institution and other individuals were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the most important cultural treasures in the country.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from Palmyra, among the foremost cultural centres of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was built at an ancient location.
The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the artifacts was removed and kept at secret locations to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or partly ruined during the conflict.
The IS organization demolished several temples and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco denounced the damage as a atrocity.
Numerous cultural items were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.
