Historic Artifacts Removed from the National Museum in Damascus

Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.

The burglary was noticed on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.

The six missing statues were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the news agency.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the theft of a number of artifacts", and that steps had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and surveillance.

The chief of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that authorities were investigating the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

He noted that museum protectors at the institution and other persons were being interviewed.

The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, houses the significant historical artifacts in Syria.

It features ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where evidence of the earliest writing system was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was established at Dura Europos.

The facility was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.

Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.

The militant faction demolished multiple ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco censured the destruction as a atrocity.

Countless artefacts were also lost or looted from dig sites and museums.