Ancient Statues Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that an entrance had been broken from the interior.
The multiple taken sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the Roman period, one official stated to the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been taken to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The director of national security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that authorities were examining the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He continued that guards at the facility and other persons were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the most important archaeological collection in Syria.
It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was found; early centuries CE ancient art from historical site, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a third century synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.
The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the internal strife. The majority of the holdings was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, a month after rebel forces removed the Assad regime.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group blew up several temples and historical sites at the ancient city, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco denounced the damage as a atrocity.
Many artefacts were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and museums.
