Valuable Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus

Valuable statues and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.

The robbery was found on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside.

The half-dozen missing statues were marble creations and originated to the ancient Roman times, one official told the news agency.

Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a collection of exhibits", and that actions had been taken to enhance security and surveillance.

The head of national security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".

He added that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being questioned.

The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the significant historical artifacts in Syria.

It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, among the foremost cultural centres of the historical period; and a third century synagogue that was built at Dura Europos.

The institution was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the collection was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.

It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, four weeks after rebel forces removed the Assad regime.

All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.

The militant faction destroyed several temples and historical sites at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the damage as a atrocity.

Countless cultural items were also damaged or looted from archaeological sites and collections.