Historic Artifacts Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable statues and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The burglary was discovered on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.
The half-dozen missing pieces were marble creations and traced back to the Roman era, one official stated to the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to determine the "events surrounding the theft of a collection of items", and that steps had been enacted to improve safeguarding and surveillance.
The director of national security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that law enforcement were examining the robbery, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".
He added that museum protectors at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.
The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the most important archaeological collection in the country.
It features historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was discovered; early centuries CE ancient art from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the holdings was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, one month after opposition groups overthrew the Assad regime.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partly ruined during the civil war.
The Islamic State group demolished several temples and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities condemned the destruction as a violation.
Many artefacts were also lost or taken from historical locations and museums.