Ancient Sculptures Removed from the National Museum in Damascus
Valuable statues and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The robbery was noticed on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.
The six taken pieces were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, an authority told the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a group of exhibits", and that measures had been taken to strengthen security and surveillance.
The director of national security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He noted that guards at the institution and other persons were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was found; early centuries CE classical statues from Palmyra, among the foremost cultural centres of the ancient world; and a third century Jewish temple that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was removed and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, four weeks after rebel forces overthrew the Assad regime.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group destroyed numerous religious structures and historical sites at Palmyra, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a war crime.
Numerous artefacts were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
