Valuable Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.
The burglary was found on Monday, when staff apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside.
The six missing pieces were made of marble and dated back to the Roman period, one official stated to the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "details surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that steps had been enacted to strengthen security and observation methods.
The chief of internal security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as saying that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He noted that guards at the museum and additional people were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the most important cultural treasures in the country.
It contains historical records tracing back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the oldest known linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period classical statues from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the classical era; and a third century synagogue that was constructed at an ancient location.
The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the start of the internal strife. A large portion of the holdings was removed and stored at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, one month after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The IS organization destroyed multiple temples and additional edifices at the ancient city, asserting that they were against their beliefs. International authorities condemned the damage as a atrocity.
Countless artefacts were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and museums.
