Valuable Artifacts Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient statues and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was found on Monday, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.
The six missing statues were made of marble and traced back to the Roman period, one official informed the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that actions had been enacted to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The head of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He noted that museum protectors at the museum and other individuals were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It includes historical records dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, one of the most important historical locations of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was established at another archaeological site.
The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the collection was removed and preserved at secret locations to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after rebel forces removed the Assad regime.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group demolished several religious structures and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were un-Islamic. International authorities denounced the demolition as a atrocity.
Countless historical objects were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and museums.
