Historic Statues Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen pieces were marble creations and dated back to the Roman era, an authority stated to the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that steps had been taken to improve security and surveillance.
The chief of internal security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that authorities were examining the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He added that museum protectors at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was established in 1919, contains the primary cultural treasures in Syria.
It features ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the ancient era from historical site, where proof of the oldest known writing system was found; early centuries CE classical statues from Palmyra, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century synagogue that was established at an ancient location.
The facility was forced to close in 2012, a year after the beginning of the internal strife. Most of the collection was removed and kept at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in early this year, four weeks after opposition groups overthrew the Assad regime.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group destroyed several religious structures and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the damage as a atrocity.
Numerous cultural items were also lost or stolen from historical locations and cultural institutions.
