Ancient Sculptures Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable statues and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The burglary was found on Monday, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.
The half-dozen taken statues were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a collection of items", and that actions had been taken to strengthen protection and surveillance.
The head of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were investigating the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".
He noted that guards at the museum and additional people were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was founded in 1919, houses the most important cultural treasures in Syria.
It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period classical statues from Palmyra, a significant ancient sites of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was constructed at an ancient location.
The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the internal strife. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at secure places to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, one month after insurgents removed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The Islamic State group demolished multiple temples and historical sites at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. International authorities censured the damage as a war crime.
Countless artefacts were also lost or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.
