Ancient Sculptures Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Historic statues and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.
The robbery was noticed on Monday, when employees allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.
The six missing pieces were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a group of exhibits", and that measures had been taken to improve security and monitoring systems.
The director of national security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He continued that guards at the facility and other persons were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the primary historical artifacts in the country.
It features ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where indications of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; early centuries CE ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was established at another archaeological site.
The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the beginning of the internal strife. Most of the holdings was transferred and stored at secure places to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, a month after opposition groups deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The Islamic State group demolished numerous temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the destruction as a violation.
Many artefacts were also lost or taken from archaeological sites and museums.
