Ancient Artifacts Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.
The half-dozen missing statues were marble creations and dated back to the Roman era, a source stated to the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of exhibits", and that steps had been enacted to strengthen safeguarding and surveillance.
The head of domestic security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He noted that museum protectors at the institution and other individuals were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, holds the primary cultural treasures in Syria.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from historical site, among the foremost cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.
The facility was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the start of the internal strife. Most of the artifacts was transferred and kept at secure places to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, four weeks after opposition groups removed Syria's former leader.
All six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The militant faction destroyed numerous temples and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a violation.
Many artefacts were also damaged or looted from historical locations and cultural institutions.
