Historic Artifacts Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic sculptures and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The robbery was discovered on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.
The multiple taken sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source informed the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a group of items", and that steps had been taken to enhance security and observation methods.
The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He added that guards at the museum and other persons were being interrogated.
The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the significant cultural treasures in Syria.
It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where proof of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from Palmyra, one of the most important ancient sites of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. The majority of the collection was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, four weeks after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The Islamic State group blew up multiple temples and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were idolatrous. International authorities condemned the destruction as a atrocity.
Countless cultural items were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
