Historic Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.
The six missing sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the Roman era, a source stated to the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to determine the "events surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that steps had been implemented to strengthen security and observation methods.
The director of domestic security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that security forces were investigating the incident, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He added that guards at the facility and other persons were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the significant cultural treasures in Syria.
It features ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the earliest linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.
The facility was forced to close in 2012, one year after the start of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was transferred and preserved at secure places to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups overthrew the Assad regime.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.
The IS organization blew up numerous religious structures and historical sites at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the damage as a war crime.
Countless artefacts were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and collections.
