Valuable Statues Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Historic artifacts and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside.
The half-dozen stolen sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the Roman era, one official told the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a collection of exhibits", and that steps had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and observation methods.
The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that security forces were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He continued that security personnel at the facility and additional people were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from historical site, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; early centuries CE classical statues from Palmyra, one of the most important ancient sites of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was built at Dura Europos.
The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the internal strife. Most of the holdings was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, a month after rebel forces overthrew the Assad regime.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The militant faction blew up multiple temples and historical sites at the ancient city, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization condemned the damage as a atrocity.
Countless historical objects were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and cultural institutions.