Historic Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.
The burglary was discovered on Monday, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.
The six missing pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, a source informed the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to identify the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a number of items", and that measures had been taken to improve safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The chief of domestic security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that law enforcement were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He noted that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the most ancient writing system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important cultural centres of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was constructed at an ancient location.
The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the collection was evacuated and preserved at secure places to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after insurgents overthrew the Assad regime.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The militant faction destroyed several ancient buildings and historical sites at the ancient city, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the damage as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or stolen from dig sites and collections.
