Ancient Statues Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was found on Monday, when staff reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen taken statues were made of marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a group of items", and that steps had been taken to improve safeguarding and surveillance.
The director of domestic security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that law enforcement were investigating the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He noted that guards at the facility and additional people were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, holds the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; early centuries CE classical statues from Palmyra, one of the most important historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was constructed 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 removed and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after rebel forces deposed the Assad regime.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The militant faction demolished multiple temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. Unesco denounced the demolition as a violation.
Many artefacts were also damaged or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.
