Valuable Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen sculptures were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, an authority informed the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to improve security and monitoring systems.
The director of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that law enforcement were examining the robbery, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He noted that security personnel at the institution and other individuals were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, holds the most important historical artifacts in Syria.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where indications of the most ancient complete alphabet was discovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a ancient Jewish temple that was built at Dura Europos.
The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The militant faction demolished multiple temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco censured the demolition as a atrocity.
Countless historical objects were also damaged or taken from historical locations and museums.
