Historic Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.
The robbery was noticed on Monday, when employees allegedly found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen missing pieces were marble creations and dated back to the Roman period, an authority told the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been implemented to strengthen security and monitoring systems.
The director of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that law enforcement were examining the robbery, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He added that guards at the institution and other individuals were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the significant historical artifacts in Syria.
It features historical records originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest complete alphabet was discovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from Palmyra, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient Jewish temple that was constructed at an ancient location.
The museum was forced to close in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the holdings was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It reopened partially in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, a month after rebel forces overthrew Syria's former leader.
Every one of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partly ruined during the conflict.
The Islamic State group demolished numerous ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco denounced the damage as a violation.
Numerous historical objects were also lost or taken from historical locations and museums.
