Historic Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The theft was noticed on Monday, when employees apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen statues were marble creations and dated back to the Roman period, a source told the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of items", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The director of internal security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that security forces were investigating the theft, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that guards at the institution and other persons were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, contains the most important archaeological collection in the country.
It includes historical records tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, one of the most important historical locations of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was established 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 preserved at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, four weeks after opposition groups overthrew Syria's former leader.
All six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The militant faction destroyed several ancient buildings and historical sites at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a war crime.
Countless artefacts were also destroyed or taken from historical locations and collections.