Valuable Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and additional items have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.
The six taken statues were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, a source told the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to identify the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that actions had been enacted to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The director of internal security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as declaring that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".
He noted that guards at the institution and other persons were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, among the foremost historical locations of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at an ancient location.
The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at secure places to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The IS organization demolished several ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were against their beliefs. Unesco denounced the destruction as a violation.
Many cultural items were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and collections.