Ancient Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The robbery was found on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The six missing sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the Roman era, an authority informed the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been taken to strengthen security and surveillance.
The head of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as saying that authorities were examining the robbery, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".
He noted that guards at the facility and additional people were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It contains historical records originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the most ancient writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, one year after the start of the internal strife. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and preserved at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after opposition groups removed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The militant faction demolished numerous religious structures and historical sites at the ancient city, claiming that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the destruction as a war crime.
Numerous historical objects were also damaged or taken from dig sites and museums.
