Ancient Artifacts Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was found on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen statues were made of marble and traced back to the Roman era, an authority stated to the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that actions had been enacted to enhance protection and surveillance.
The head of domestic security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as declaring that authorities were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He added that museum protectors at the facility and other persons were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It contains historical records dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the oldest known complete alphabet was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant ancient sites of the historical period; and a ancient synagogue that was constructed at an ancient location.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, one year after the start of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the collection was transferred and stored at secure places to protect them.
It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, four weeks after insurgents deposed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The militant faction demolished multiple ancient buildings and historical sites at the ancient city, claiming that they were idolatrous. International authorities condemned the demolition as a atrocity.
Many historical objects were also damaged or taken from archaeological sites and collections.
