Historic Statues Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The burglary was noticed on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.
The six stolen sculptures were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, a source told the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a number of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and surveillance.
The chief of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as stating that law enforcement were investigating the robbery, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He added that guards at the facility and other individuals were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It includes historical records originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where indications of the oldest known complete alphabet was found; Greco-Roman period classical statues from the ancient city, among the foremost historical locations of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was built at an ancient location.
The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. Most of the artifacts was transferred and stored at secret locations to protect them.
It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group blew up several ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the damage as a war crime.
Many cultural items were also lost or taken from historical locations and collections.
