Historic Artifacts Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The burglary was found on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.
The six stolen sculptures were made of marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, one official told the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been implemented to improve security and surveillance.
The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as stating that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He noted that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the most important historical artifacts in Syria.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was found; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; and a ancient religious building that was constructed at an ancient location.
The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the artifacts was evacuated and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, one month after rebel forces deposed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The IS organization destroyed numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the destruction as a violation.
Countless artefacts were also destroyed or stolen from historical locations and collections.