Ancient Statues Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus
Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.
The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The multiple stolen sculptures were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official told the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to determine the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been taken to strengthen protection and surveillance.
The chief of domestic security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that authorities were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He added that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the most important archaeological collection in the country.
It features historical records dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where evidence of the earliest linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from historical site, a significant cultural centres of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at Dura Europos.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was removed and kept at secure places to protect them.
It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, one month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The Islamic State group demolished several religious structures and additional edifices at the ancient city, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities condemned the damage as a violation.
Numerous cultural items were also lost or looted from historical locations and museums.
