Ancient Statues Removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus

Ancient artifacts and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.

The burglary was discovered on Monday, when employees apparently found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.

The half-dozen taken sculptures were crafted from marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the news agency.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to identify the "details surrounding the loss of a group of items", and that actions had been enacted to enhance security and observation methods.

The chief of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".

He continued that museum protectors at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.

The cultural institution, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the primary historical artifacts in Syria.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was built at another archaeological site.

The museum was forced to close in 2012, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. The majority of the artifacts was evacuated and kept at secure places to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and returned to normal in early this year, a month after opposition groups deposed Syria's former leader.

Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.

The IS organization blew up numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, claiming that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a violation.

Many artefacts were also damaged or stolen from historical locations and collections.