Valuable Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Historic sculptures and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.
The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The six stolen pieces were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a number of items", and that actions had been implemented to improve safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The chief of domestic security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that law enforcement 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 National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the most important historical artifacts in Syria.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where indications of the most ancient writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, one of the most important historical locations of the ancient world; and a third century Jewish temple that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The facility was had to cease operations in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the collection was removed and stored at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, four weeks after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.
The militant faction blew up multiple ancient buildings and other structures at Palmyra, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a violation.
Many historical objects were also lost or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.
