Valuable Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The robbery was noticed on Monday, when staff reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen taken statues were made of marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source informed the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen security and surveillance.
The director of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as stating that law enforcement were investigating the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He noted that security personnel at the facility and additional people were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the most important archaeological collection in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where evidence of the earliest writing system was found; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was constructed at an ancient location.
The museum was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. The majority of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, a month after rebel forces removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group demolished numerous religious structures and additional edifices at the ancient city, stating that they were un-Islamic. Unesco condemned the destruction as a war crime.
Numerous artefacts were also destroyed or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.
