Ancient Statues Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.
The robbery was discovered on Monday, when employees allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The multiple taken sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the Roman period, an authority informed the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "events surrounding the loss of a number of exhibits", and that steps had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and surveillance.
The director of internal security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He continued that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the significant archaeological collection in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the historical period; and a third century synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, twelve months after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the holdings was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The IS organization demolished several temples and other structures at Palmyra, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization censured the damage as a war crime.
Many cultural items were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and museums.
