Valuable Statues Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.
The robbery was noticed on Monday, when employees allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the interior.
The multiple missing pieces were crafted from marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to enhance protection and surveillance.
The director of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He continued that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was established in 1919, contains the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where indications of the oldest known linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE classical statues from historical site, one of the most important ancient sites of the classical era; and a third century synagogue that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the internal strife. The majority of the collection was transferred and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partly ruined during the civil war.
The Islamic State group demolished multiple ancient buildings and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. International authorities condemned the destruction as a war crime.
Many cultural items were also lost or stolen from historical locations and museums.
