Valuable Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable statues and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The six missing pieces were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman era, a source informed the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of items", and that measures had been enacted to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The director of internal security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that security forces were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He added that security personnel at the institution and other persons were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the significant historical artifacts in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where indications of the oldest known linguistic system was found; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was built at Dura Europos.
The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the destructive conflict. Most of the artifacts was transferred and stored at secure places to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after rebel forces overthrew Syria's former leader.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partly ruined during the civil war.
The IS organization demolished multiple ancient buildings and other structures at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization censured the damage as a atrocity.
Countless cultural items were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and collections.