Ancient Statues Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic sculptures and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The multiple missing sculptures were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman era, a source stated to the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "details surrounding the theft of a group of artifacts", and that measures had been enacted to strengthen security and surveillance.
The head of national security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were examining the theft, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".
He noted that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from historical site, where indications of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, among the foremost ancient sites of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was built at Dura Europos.
The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was removed and preserved at secure places to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, one month after opposition groups deposed Syria's former leader.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The militant faction demolished multiple ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were un-Islamic. International authorities censured the damage as a war crime.
Many cultural items were also lost or stolen from dig sites and museums.
