Ancient Statues Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The theft was found on the start of the week, when staff reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The six stolen statues were made of marble and traced back to the Roman era, a source informed the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen protection and monitoring systems.
The director of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that law enforcement were investigating the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He added that museum protectors at the institution and other individuals were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the significant cultural treasures in Syria.
It contains historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where proof of the most ancient writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost historical locations of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was established at an ancient location.
The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at secure places to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after rebel forces removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The militant faction destroyed numerous temples and additional edifices at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco censured the damage as a atrocity.
Countless cultural items were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and museums.
