Ancient Sculptures Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic sculptures and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.
The burglary was noticed on the start of the week, when employees allegedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.
The half-dozen taken sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source told the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of artifacts", and that steps had been taken to enhance safeguarding and surveillance.
The head of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as stating that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He continued that guards at the institution and other individuals were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the most important cultural treasures in the country.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from historical site, among the foremost cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.
The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was transferred and stored at secure places to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in 2018 and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, four weeks after rebel forces overthrew the Assad regime.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The militant faction blew up multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization denounced the demolition as a atrocity.
Countless artefacts were also destroyed or stolen from dig sites and museums.
