Historic Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.
The robbery was found on Monday, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The half-dozen stolen pieces were made of marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the theft of a collection of artifacts", and that steps had been enacted to strengthen safeguarding and observation methods.
The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as stating that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He continued that guards at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.
The cultural institution, which was founded in 1919, contains the significant archaeological collection in Syria.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the oldest known complete alphabet was discovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from Palmyra, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; and a third century Jewish temple that was constructed at an ancient location.
The institution was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was evacuated and kept at secure places to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, four weeks after opposition groups deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The militant faction blew up several ancient buildings and other structures at the archaeological site, asserting that they were idolatrous. Unesco censured the damage as a violation.
Numerous artefacts were also lost or stolen from dig sites and collections.
