Historic Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus
Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The theft was found on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.
The multiple stolen statues were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, one official told the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to determine the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a group of artifacts", and that measures had been enacted to enhance protection and monitoring systems.
The director of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that authorities were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He added that guards at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the most important archaeological collection in Syria.
It contains historical records dating back to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the oldest known complete alphabet was found; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the ancient world; and a ancient synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The museum was forced to close in 2012, one year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, a month after rebel forces deposed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.
The Islamic State group destroyed multiple temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a violation.
Countless historical objects were also damaged or taken from historical locations and museums.
