Ancient Statues Removed from the National Museum in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The burglary was found on Monday, when employees apparently found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen taken sculptures were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman period, an authority told the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The chief of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".
He added that guards at the museum and other persons were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the most important cultural treasures in Syria.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where proof of the oldest known writing system was found; Greco-Roman period classical statues from Palmyra, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was constructed at an ancient location.
The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the artifacts was transferred and stored at secure places to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, one month after insurgents deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The militant faction demolished multiple ancient buildings and other structures at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a war crime.
Numerous historical objects were also damaged or taken from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
