Ancient Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when employees allegedly found that an entrance had been forced from the inside.
The six taken statues were marble creations and originated to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to establish the "events surrounding the theft of a number of artifacts", and that steps had been enacted to strengthen safeguarding and observation methods.
The chief of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as stating that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He noted that museum protectors at the museum and other individuals were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the significant cultural treasures in Syria.
It includes historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where proof of the earliest complete alphabet was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, among the foremost ancient sites of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The facility was forced to close in 2012, twelve months after the start of the devastating civil war. Most of the holdings was transferred and preserved at secret locations to protect them.
It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, one month after insurgents overthrew the Assad regime.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partly ruined during the conflict.
The IS organization demolished multiple religious structures and historical sites at the ancient city, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco denounced the damage as a atrocity.
Countless cultural items were also lost or looted from historical locations and cultural institutions.
