Ancient Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The theft was found on the start of the week, when employees reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen missing statues were made of marble and originated to the Roman era, a source informed the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The head of domestic security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that museum protectors at the institution and additional people were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the significant historical artifacts in Syria.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the oldest known linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, one of the most important cultural centres of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at Dura Europos.
The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The Islamic State group destroyed numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the ancient city, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities condemned the demolition as a violation.
Many historical objects were also destroyed or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.
