Historic Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Historic artifacts and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior.
The multiple stolen sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the theft of a number of artifacts", and that measures had been enacted to strengthen security and surveillance.
The chief of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He continued that museum protectors at the institution and other persons were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the most important cultural treasures in the country.
It features historical records tracing back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century synagogue that was built at another archaeological site.
The museum was forced to close in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the internal strife. The majority of the holdings was removed and preserved at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after opposition groups removed Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The militant faction destroyed numerous temples and additional edifices at the ancient city, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco denounced the damage as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also destroyed or looted from archaeological sites and museums.
