Ancient Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The burglary was discovered on Monday, when employees apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen missing sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the Roman era, an authority stated to the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of artifacts", and that steps had been taken to strengthen protection and surveillance.
The head of domestic security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that security forces were investigating the robbery, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He continued that guards at the museum and additional people were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, contains the primary historical artifacts in the country.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the ancient era from historical site, where indications of the earliest complete alphabet was found; Greco-Roman period classical statues from the ancient city, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; and a third century religious building that was built at another archaeological site.
The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the internal strife. The majority of the collection was evacuated and stored at secure places to protect them.
It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, one month after opposition groups deposed Syria's former leader.
All six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The Islamic State group blew up several temples and historical sites at Palmyra, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco condemned the destruction as a war crime.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.