Valuable Statues Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus
Valuable statues and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.
The six taken statues were made of marble 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 determine the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of items", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen safeguarding and surveillance.
The head of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".
He noted that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, contains the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It includes historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where indications of the earliest writing system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from historical site, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.
The institution was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the artifacts was evacuated and preserved at secure places to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, a month after insurgents removed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict.
The Islamic State group demolished numerous temples and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the destruction as a war crime.
Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.
