Valuable Statues Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic sculptures and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.
The half-dozen missing sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the Roman era, an authority stated to the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been taken to improve safeguarding and surveillance.
The chief of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that law enforcement were investigating the theft, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".
He noted that guards at the museum and additional people were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the significant archaeological collection in the country.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from Palmyra, one of the most important ancient sites of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.
The facility was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in 2018 and returned to normal in early this year, one month after insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group destroyed multiple religious structures and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization censured the damage as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or taken from archaeological sites and collections.
