Ancient Artifacts Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable statues and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen taken pieces were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman period, one official informed the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "events surrounding the theft of a number of items", and that steps had been implemented to enhance protection and surveillance.
The chief of national security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as stating that law enforcement were examining the robbery, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He noted that museum protectors at the facility and additional people were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the most important archaeological collection in the country.
It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where proof of the earliest writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the holdings was evacuated and preserved at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, four weeks after insurgents deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partly ruined during the civil war.
The IS organization demolished numerous ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a violation.
Countless historical objects were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.
