Historic Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Historic statues and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The theft was discovered on Monday, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.
The half-dozen missing pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman period, a source stated to the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to determine the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a group of items", and that steps had been taken to strengthen security and observation methods.
The director of domestic security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as saying that security forces were investigating the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He continued that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, contains the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the most ancient writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from Palmyra, a significant historical locations of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was built at Dura Europos.
The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the internal strife. Most of the artifacts was transferred and stored at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, a month after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partly ruined during the civil war.
The militant faction destroyed multiple religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, asserting that they were idolatrous. Unesco censured the destruction as a violation.
Countless cultural items were also lost or taken from dig sites and museums.
