Historic Artifacts Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient statues and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The robbery was discovered on Monday, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The half-dozen stolen pieces were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source told the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the theft of a group of items", and that measures had been taken to strengthen safeguarding and surveillance.
The chief of national security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".
He noted that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the significant historical artifacts in Syria.
It features ancient inscribed tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where indications of the earliest writing system was discovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant historical locations of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was established at Dura Europos.
The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites 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.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The IS organization destroyed multiple religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were idolatrous. Unesco censured the damage as a atrocity.
Many cultural items were also lost or looted from historical locations and collections.
