Historic Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The robbery was found on Monday, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The six stolen statues were crafted from marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, a source stated to the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to improve protection and monitoring systems.
The head of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as saying that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".
He continued that guards at the institution and other persons were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where proof of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, a significant ancient sites of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was built at an ancient location.
The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The IS organization demolished multiple temples and historical sites at the ancient city, stating that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the damage as a war crime.
Countless cultural items were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.
