Ancient Sculptures Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The theft was noticed on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.
The six taken statues were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman era, one official told the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a number of exhibits", and that steps had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The director of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that authorities were examining the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He added that security personnel at the facility and other individuals were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the most important archaeological collection in Syria.
It includes historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where evidence of the oldest known linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE classical statues from historical site, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was built at another archaeological site.
The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the internal strife. Most of the collection was evacuated and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, a month after insurgents deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.
The IS organization blew up numerous ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the demolition as a war crime.
Many historical objects were also lost or stolen from historical locations and museums.
