Historic Sculptures Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when staff reportedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.
The half-dozen taken sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the Roman era, one official stated to the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the theft of a group of items", and that actions had been implemented to improve protection and observation methods.
The head of domestic security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that museum protectors at the facility and additional people were being questioned.
The cultural institution, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It features historical records dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where proof of the earliest complete alphabet was discovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, one of the most important cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was built at another archaeological site.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, one year after the start of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the collection was transferred and kept at secret locations to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, one month after insurgents overthrew Syria's former leader.
All six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partly ruined during the internal struggle.
The IS organization demolished numerous temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, asserting that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the damage as a atrocity.
Countless artefacts were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
