Historic Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was found on Monday, when employees allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The six stolen pieces were made of marble and traced back to the Roman era, one official informed the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to identify the "details surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and observation methods.
The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as declaring that authorities were probing the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He added that security personnel at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, among the foremost ancient sites of the historical period; and a ancient religious building that was established at another archaeological site.
The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was evacuated and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, four weeks after opposition groups deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partly ruined during the civil war.
The militant faction blew up multiple religious structures and historical sites at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. International authorities condemned the destruction as a war crime.
Countless artefacts were also lost or taken from historical locations and museums.
