Valuable Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.
The half-dozen missing statues were marble creations and traced back to the Roman era, one official told the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that steps had been enacted to improve safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The head of national security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as saying that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He added that guards at the facility and other persons were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the significant historical artifacts in the country.
It features historical records dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, one of the most important cultural centres of the historical period; and a third century Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, a year after the outbreak of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was evacuated and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, a month after rebel forces deposed Syria's former leader.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.
The Islamic State group destroyed several religious structures and historical sites at Palmyra, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a atrocity.
Countless artefacts were also damaged or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.
