Valuable Artifacts Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Ancient statues and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.
The robbery was found on Monday, when employees reportedly found that an entrance had been broken from the interior.
The half-dozen missing statues were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman era, a source informed the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that measures had been implemented to enhance protection and surveillance.
The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were examining the robbery, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He continued that guards at the institution and other persons were being interrogated.
The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, houses the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It contains historical records dating back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where evidence of the earliest writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was built at an ancient location.
The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at secret locations to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in January 2025, a month after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The militant faction blew up several ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco censured the demolition as a war crime.
Numerous cultural items were also lost or taken from historical locations and collections.
