Ancient Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable statues and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The theft was noticed on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the inside.
The six stolen sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official told the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of artifacts", and that steps had been implemented to enhance protection and observation methods.
The chief of national security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".
He continued that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the most important archaeological collection in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where indications of the oldest known linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from Palmyra, one of the most important ancient sites of the classical era; and a third century Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.
The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. Most of the collection was transferred and preserved at secret locations to protect them.
It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, four weeks after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The IS organization blew up several ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, asserting that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the damage as a war crime.
Many cultural items were also destroyed or stolen from historical locations and collections.
