Ancient Artifacts Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The burglary was discovered on Monday, when employees allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the inside.
The six taken statues were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman period, one official informed the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the theft of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been taken to strengthen safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The head of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as declaring that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He continued that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from historical site, one of the most important ancient sites of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was constructed at an ancient location.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, twelve months after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at secret locations to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, one month after opposition groups overthrew the Assad regime.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partly ruined during the civil war.
The militant faction demolished multiple religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. Unesco denounced the demolition as a violation.
Many historical objects were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.
