Ancient Statues Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and additional items have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The six taken sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the Roman period, one official informed the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to establish the "details surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to enhance protection and monitoring systems.
The chief of national security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that law enforcement were examining the robbery, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He added that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, contains the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where proof of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from historical site, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was established at an ancient location.
The facility was compelled to shut in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was evacuated and kept at secure places to protect them.
It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, a month after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The militant faction demolished numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the damage as a war crime.
Many historical objects were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
