Historic Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when employees allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.
The multiple stolen pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, a source told the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to improve protection and monitoring systems.
The head of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that authorities were investigating the robbery, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He added that security personnel at the institution and other individuals were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, houses the most important archaeological collection in Syria.
It features ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where proof of the oldest known complete alphabet was uncovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from Palmyra, one of the most important cultural centres of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The facility was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was transferred and kept at secret locations to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, one month after opposition groups removed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The militant faction destroyed multiple religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities condemned the damage as a war crime.
Numerous historical objects were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.
