Valuable Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.
The theft was noticed on Monday, when employees allegedly found that an entrance had been forced from the inside.
The multiple stolen sculptures were made of marble and originated to the Roman period, an authority told the news agency.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that measures had been taken to strengthen protection and surveillance.
The director of internal security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He continued that guards at the facility and other persons were being interrogated.
The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, holds the primary cultural treasures in Syria.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where indications of the oldest known linguistic system was found; early centuries CE classical statues from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the historical period; and a third century synagogue that was built at Dura Europos.
The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after rebel forces deposed Syria's former leader.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The IS organization blew up numerous religious structures and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were un-Islamic. Unesco condemned the demolition as a violation.
Many historical objects were also damaged or taken from historical locations and museums.
