Historic Artifacts Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The robbery was discovered on Monday, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The multiple missing statues were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman era, an authority told the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to enhance security and surveillance.
The director of domestic security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He noted that museum protectors at the institution and other individuals were being interrogated.
The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, houses the most important cultural treasures in Syria.
It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century Jewish temple that was built at an ancient location.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the artifacts was evacuated and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in early this year, one month after rebel forces deposed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The militant faction destroyed several religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, asserting that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the demolition as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.
