Ancient Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The robbery was discovered on Monday, when employees allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the interior.
The six taken sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen security and monitoring systems.
The chief of domestic security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".
He added that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was created in 1919, contains the significant archaeological collection in the country.
It contains historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was found; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant historical locations of the historical period; and a third century Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.
The museum was forced to close in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the internal strife. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and kept at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, a month after rebel forces deposed Syria's former leader.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The militant faction demolished numerous religious structures and historical sites at the ancient city, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities censured the demolition as a atrocity.
Countless cultural items were also damaged or taken from dig sites and collections.
