Historic Artifacts Removed from the National Museum in Damascus

Valuable sculptures and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.

The six taken statues were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, an authority stated to the news agency.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been taken to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.

The head of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and unique items".

He noted that guards at the institution and other persons were being questioned.

The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, houses the primary historical artifacts in Syria.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period classical statues from historical site, among the foremost cultural centres of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was established at another archaeological site.

The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the collection was evacuated and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.

It reopened partially in 2018 and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents overthrew Syria's former leader.

All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partly ruined during the conflict.

The IS organization destroyed several religious structures and other structures at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the demolition as a atrocity.

Countless historical objects were also damaged or stolen from dig sites and collections.