Historic Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that an entrance had been forced from the inside.
The multiple taken statues were marble creations and traced back to the Roman era, an authority informed the media outlet.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to determine the "events surrounding the theft of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to improve protection and observation methods.
The head of internal security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that authorities were examining the theft, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He noted that museum protectors at the institution and other individuals were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the significant cultural treasures in Syria.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, among the foremost cultural centres of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was established at an ancient location.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in 2018 and returned to normal in early this year, a month after insurgents removed the Assad regime.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The IS organization destroyed numerous temples and other structures at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization denounced the destruction as a atrocity.
Many cultural items were also lost or stolen from dig sites and cultural institutions.