Ancient Statues Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The robbery was found on Monday, when staff reportedly found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.
The multiple taken pieces were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman period, one official informed the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of artifacts", and that actions had been taken to strengthen protection and surveillance.
The chief of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He added that guards at the facility and other persons were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was founded in 1919, contains the primary historical artifacts in Syria.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from historical site, one of the most important ancient sites of the classical era; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.
The facility was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the artifacts was removed and stored at secure places to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, one month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The militant faction demolished multiple religious structures and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were un-Islamic. International authorities condemned the damage as a atrocity.
Many cultural items were also lost or stolen from dig sites and cultural institutions.
