Ancient Statues Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.
The theft was found on Monday, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The six taken statues were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority stated to the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "events surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that steps had been taken to enhance security and surveillance.
The head of internal security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as saying that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He continued that guards at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the primary historical artifacts in Syria.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where indications of the oldest known writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from Palmyra, among the foremost ancient sites of the classical era; and a third century Jewish temple that was built at another archaeological site.
The facility was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the holdings was transferred and preserved at secret locations to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, a month after insurgents overthrew Syria's former leader.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The Islamic State group destroyed several temples and other structures at the archaeological site, asserting that they were idolatrous. International authorities denounced the demolition as a atrocity.
Countless cultural items were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and museums.
