Valuable Sculptures Removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Valuable sculptures and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The robbery was discovered on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside.
The six missing statues were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, an authority stated to the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to enhance security and monitoring systems.
The head of national security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He noted that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the significant archaeological collection in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient writing system was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important ancient sites of the classical era; and a third century synagogue that was built at an ancient location.
The museum was forced to close in 2012, one year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The Islamic State group demolished several ancient buildings and other structures at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. Unesco censured the destruction as a war crime.
Many cultural items were also lost or taken from historical locations and museums.
