Historic Statues Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Historic artifacts and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.
The multiple taken sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that measures had been enacted to strengthen safeguarding and surveillance.
The chief of national security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were investigating the theft, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He continued that museum protectors at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the most important cultural treasures in the country.
It includes historical records dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where indications of the oldest known complete alphabet was uncovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century synagogue that was built at an ancient location.
The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the destructive conflict. Most of the artifacts was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents removed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partly ruined during the civil war.
The Islamic State group blew up numerous temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. International authorities denounced the demolition as a war crime.
Many historical objects were also lost or looted from dig sites and museums.
