Ancient Artifacts Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.
The burglary was discovered on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.
The six missing sculptures were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman period, a source informed the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been taken to improve protection and observation methods.
The head of national security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He added that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, among the foremost cultural centres of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was established at another archaeological site.
The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was evacuated and kept at secure places to protect them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups overthrew the Assad regime.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The Islamic State group destroyed numerous temples and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a atrocity.
Many historical objects were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.
