Ancient Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic sculptures and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.
The burglary was found on Monday, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.
The half-dozen taken sculptures were crafted from marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "events surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The head of national security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".
He noted that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century Jewish temple that was built at another archaeological site.
The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was evacuated and preserved at secure places to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, four weeks after rebel forces removed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The militant faction blew up numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco censured the destruction as a war crime.
Numerous artefacts were also damaged or looted from historical locations and museums.
