Ancient Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The burglary was noticed on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The six missing sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, one official told the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that measures had been taken to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The head of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were investigating the theft, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He continued that guards at the institution and other individuals were being interrogated.
The cultural institution, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the most important archaeological collection in the country.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant ancient sites of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at an ancient location.
The museum was forced to close in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the artifacts was evacuated and kept at secure places to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, four weeks after insurgents removed Syria's former leader.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The militant faction blew up multiple temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, stating that they were un-Islamic. Unesco condemned the destruction as a violation.
Countless artefacts were also lost or stolen from historical locations and collections.
