Historic Sculptures Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The burglary was found on Monday, when staff reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.
The six missing statues were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman period, a source told the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of artifacts", and that steps had been implemented to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He continued that guards at the museum and additional people were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, houses the primary archaeological collection in Syria.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was built at an ancient location.
The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. Most of the collection was evacuated and stored at secure places to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in early this year, one month after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.
Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partly ruined during the civil war.
The militant faction blew up several temples and historical sites at the ancient city, asserting that they were idolatrous. International authorities condemned the demolition as a war crime.
Many historical objects were also lost or looted from dig sites and museums.
