Valuable Sculptures Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus

Ancient statues and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.

The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when staff reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.

The six stolen pieces were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source told the news agency.

Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of exhibits", and that steps had been enacted to improve security and surveillance.

The chief of domestic security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and unique items".

He noted that museum protectors at the institution and additional people were being questioned.

The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, holds the most important historical artifacts in the country.

It contains historical records originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the oldest known complete alphabet was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, among the foremost historical locations of the ancient world; and a ancient synagogue that was built at Dura Europos.

The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the beginning of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the holdings was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, four weeks after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.

Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the conflict.

The militant faction blew up several ancient buildings and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the damage as a violation.

Countless historical objects were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.