Ancient Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus

Ancient statues and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.

The robbery was noticed on Monday, when employees allegedly found that an entrance had been forced from the inside.

The six taken pieces were crafted from marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, a source told the media outlet.

Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen safeguarding and monitoring systems.

The director of national security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that authorities were investigating the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".

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

The cultural institution, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the most important archaeological collection in Syria.

It features historical records tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the earliest complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant historical locations of the ancient world; and a ancient Jewish temple that was constructed at Dura Europos.

The facility was forced to close in 2012, a year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the collection was transferred and preserved at secret locations to ensure their safety.

It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader.

Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the civil war.

The Islamic State group blew up several ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. International authorities censured the damage as a war crime.

Numerous artefacts were also destroyed or stolen from dig sites and cultural institutions.