Historic Artifacts Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Ancient statues and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that an entrance had been forced from the inside.
The six stolen sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the Roman era, one official informed the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "details surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The director of national security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as stating that authorities were probing the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, contains the primary archaeological collection in Syria.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where evidence of the earliest writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, a significant ancient sites of the classical era; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at an ancient location.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the collection was transferred and stored at secure places to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The militant faction destroyed numerous temples and additional edifices at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. International authorities censured the demolition as a atrocity.
Countless historical objects were also damaged or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.
