Historic Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.
The six stolen sculptures were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman era, one official told the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a number of artifacts", and that measures had been taken to improve security and monitoring systems.
The chief of national security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as stating that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He continued that security personnel at the facility and other persons were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the primary cultural treasures in Syria.
It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where indications of the oldest known writing system was discovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the internal strife. Most of the collection was evacuated and kept at secret locations to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, four weeks after opposition groups removed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The militant faction blew up several temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, stating that they were un-Islamic. International authorities condemned the demolition as a violation.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.
