Valuable Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic sculptures and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.
The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.
The multiple missing statues were marble creations and traced back to the Roman period, one official stated to the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of exhibits", and that steps had been enacted to enhance protection and observation methods.
The director of internal security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that authorities were investigating the theft, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He continued that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, contains the most important archaeological collection in Syria.
It features ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where indications of the earliest complete alphabet was uncovered; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was established at another archaeological site.
The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the holdings was evacuated and stored at secure places to protect them.
It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, a month after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The militant faction demolished multiple ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, asserting that they were un-Islamic. International authorities denounced the destruction as a violation.
Countless artefacts were also damaged or taken from dig sites and collections.
