Valuable Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic sculptures and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The burglary was found on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside.
The multiple taken sculptures were made of marble and originated to the Roman era, a source told the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of items", and that actions had been taken to improve protection and observation methods.
The chief of national security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".
He continued that security personnel at the museum and other persons were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, houses the significant cultural treasures in Syria.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the most ancient linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period classical statues from Palmyra, among the foremost cultural centres of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The facility was forced to close in 2012, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the collection was transferred and stored at secure places to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The Islamic State group destroyed multiple religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, asserting that they were idolatrous. International authorities denounced the demolition as a violation.
Countless artefacts were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
