Ancient Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.
The six stolen statues 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 launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a group of exhibits", and that steps had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and observation methods.
The director of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that authorities were investigating the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".
He added that museum protectors at the facility and other persons were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, among the foremost cultural centres of the ancient world; and a ancient synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the beginning of the internal strife. Most of the artifacts was removed and kept at secure places to protect them.
It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The Islamic State group destroyed multiple temples and historical sites at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the destruction as a violation.
Numerous cultural items were also damaged or stolen from dig sites and cultural institutions.
