Historic Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic sculptures and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.
The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.
The multiple stolen statues were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as stating that law enforcement were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".
He noted that museum protectors at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It features historical records tracing back to the ancient era from historical site, where indications of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century Jewish temple that was built at Dura Europos.
The museum was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the holdings was evacuated and preserved at secure places to protect them.
It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, one month after rebel forces deposed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The IS organization demolished multiple religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. International authorities condemned the destruction as a atrocity.
Countless artefacts were also destroyed or stolen from historical locations and cultural institutions.
