Historic Sculptures Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The burglary was discovered on Monday, when employees allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The multiple missing sculptures were made of marble and originated to the Roman era, a source stated to the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The director 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 theft, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He noted that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, houses the significant historical artifacts in the country.
It contains historical records originating to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in 2018 and returned to normal in early this year, four weeks after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group destroyed numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a atrocity.
Numerous cultural items were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.
