Valuable Sculptures Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus

Valuable statues and additional items have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.

The burglary was noticed on the start of the week, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.

The half-dozen taken statues were marble creations and traced back to the Roman era, an authority stated to the Associated Press.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that steps had been enacted to improve protection and observation methods.

The director of domestic security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as declaring that authorities were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".

He continued that museum protectors at the facility and other persons were being interrogated.

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

It contains historical records originating to the ancient era from historical site, where indications of the earliest writing system was discovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was constructed at Dura Europos.

The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was removed and preserved at secret locations to protect them.

It partially resumed in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, one month after opposition groups deposed the Assad regime.

All six of nationally recognized sites were affected or significantly impacted during the civil war.

The Islamic State group blew up multiple religious structures and historical sites at the ancient city, asserting that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a atrocity.

Numerous artefacts were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and collections.