Ancient Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Valuable statues and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The burglary was found on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen statues were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman period, a source told the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been taken to enhance security and surveillance.
The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were investigating the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He continued that security personnel at the museum and other persons were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was established in 1919, houses the most important historical artifacts in the country.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the earliest writing system was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, among the foremost ancient sites of the ancient world; and a ancient religious building that was established at another archaeological site.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the artifacts was evacuated and kept at secret locations to protect them.
It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partly ruined during the civil war.
The militant faction demolished numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. Unesco denounced the demolition as a war crime.
Many cultural items were also lost or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.
