Valuable Statues Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The burglary was found on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen stolen sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, one official stated to the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of items", and that measures had been taken to improve protection and surveillance.
The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He added that guards at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.
The cultural institution, which was founded in 1919, holds the significant historical artifacts in the country.
It features historical records dating back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where proof of the oldest known writing system was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, among the foremost ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.
The facility was forced to close in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. The majority of the artifacts was removed and kept at secure places to protect them.
It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The Islamic State group blew up numerous religious structures and historical sites at the ancient city, claiming that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the damage as a war crime.
Countless cultural items were also damaged or looted from historical locations and collections.
