Historic Sculptures Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was found on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen missing pieces were made of marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source stated to the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of items", and that measures had been enacted to strengthen safeguarding and surveillance.
The chief of domestic security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that guards at the facility and other individuals were being interrogated.
The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, houses the primary historical artifacts in the country.
It includes historical records tracing back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where evidence of the earliest writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, one of the most important cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century Jewish temple that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the collection was transferred and stored at secure places to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, four weeks after rebel forces overthrew Syria's former leader.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The IS organization destroyed several religious structures and historical sites at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a war crime.
Countless artefacts were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and museums.
