Historic Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Valuable statues and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.
The burglary was found on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.
The six taken statues were made of marble and dated back to the Roman period, one official stated to the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to establish the "details surrounding the disappearance of a number of artifacts", and that steps had been implemented to improve security and surveillance.
The head of national security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the government press as saying that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He added that guards at the museum and other persons were being interviewed.
The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, holds the most important cultural treasures in the country.
It features historical records originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, one of the most important ancient sites of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was built at Dura Europos.
The museum was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the internal strife. The majority of the artifacts was evacuated and preserved at secure places to safeguard them.
It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, four weeks after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The Islamic State group blew up numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco censured the damage as a violation.
Countless historical objects were also lost or taken from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
