Ancient Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The burglary was noticed on Monday, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen missing sculptures were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, a source stated to the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a collection of exhibits", and that measures had been enacted to enhance protection and observation methods.
The director of national security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as declaring that law enforcement were examining the robbery, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He added that security personnel at the facility and other persons were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was created in 1919, contains the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It features historical records originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, one of the most important historical locations of the ancient world; and a ancient synagogue that was built at another archaeological site.
The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the collection was evacuated and preserved at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, four weeks after insurgents removed the Assad regime.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The militant faction demolished multiple temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco denounced the destruction as a atrocity.
Countless cultural items were also lost or stolen from historical locations and collections.
