Ancient Sculptures Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient statues and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The theft was found on Monday, when employees allegedly found that an entrance had been forced from the inside.
The multiple missing statues were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, one official informed the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of artifacts", and that measures had been taken to strengthen security and observation methods.
The director of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He continued that guards at the institution and other persons were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, contains the significant archaeological collection in Syria.
It includes ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the earliest linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at secure places to protect them.
It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, four weeks after opposition groups removed Syria's former leader.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The IS organization destroyed numerous temples and additional edifices at the ancient city, asserting that they were un-Islamic. International authorities denounced the destruction as a violation.
Many artefacts were also lost or looted from dig sites and museums.