Valuable Artifacts Removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Historic sculptures and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The robbery was found on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The six missing pieces were made of marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the news agency.
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 strengthen protection and observation methods.
The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that authorities were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He noted that security personnel at the institution and other individuals were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the significant historical artifacts in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant cultural centres of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at an ancient location.
The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the artifacts was removed and kept at secure places to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, one month after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partly ruined during the civil war.
The militant faction blew up multiple religious structures and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the demolition as a atrocity.
Countless historical objects were also lost or stolen from dig sites and collections.
