Ancient Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic sculptures and additional items have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The theft was discovered on Monday, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.
The six taken statues were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, one official told the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the theft of a number of artifacts", and that measures had been enacted to improve safeguarding and observation methods.
The director of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He added that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, contains the significant archaeological collection in Syria.
It includes historical records originating to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where evidence of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE ancient art from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was established at Dura Europos.
The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the collection was removed and preserved at secure places to protect them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, one month after insurgents removed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The militant faction destroyed numerous religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities denounced the demolition as a war crime.
Countless historical objects were also damaged or looted from historical locations and cultural institutions.
