Ancient Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable statues and additional items have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.
The burglary was found on Monday, when employees allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen pieces were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman period, one official stated to the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that measures had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and observation methods.
The chief of domestic security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were investigating the robbery, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He added that security personnel at the facility and other persons were being interrogated.
The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, holds the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It features historical records dating back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the holdings was transferred and kept at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents removed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The IS organization demolished numerous temples and historical sites at Palmyra, asserting that they were un-Islamic. Unesco condemned the demolition as a violation.
Numerous cultural items were also lost or stolen from historical locations and cultural institutions.