Historic Statues Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient statues and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The burglary was found on Monday, when employees apparently found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.
The half-dozen missing pieces were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman era, one official told the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of items", and that steps had been taken to enhance security and observation methods.
The director of internal security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were investigating the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He noted that security personnel at the facility and additional people were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, houses the most important cultural treasures in Syria.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where proof of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE classical statues from Palmyra, a significant historical locations of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at another archaeological site.
The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. The majority of the holdings was evacuated and stored at secure places to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, a month after rebel forces deposed the Assad regime.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The militant faction demolished multiple ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a atrocity.
Countless historical objects were also lost or stolen from historical locations and museums.
