Historic Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus

Ancient artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.

The robbery was noticed on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.

The half-dozen taken statues were marble creations and dated back to the Roman era, one official stated to the media outlet.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to determine the "events surrounding the theft of a collection of exhibits", and that steps had been implemented to enhance security and surveillance.

The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".

He continued that museum protectors at the facility and additional people were being interrogated.

The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the primary historical artifacts in Syria.

It includes historical records dating back to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the oldest known linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, among the foremost historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient Jewish temple that was constructed at another archaeological site.

The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the holdings was evacuated and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, four weeks after insurgents removed the Assad regime.

Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the civil war.

The Islamic State group demolished multiple ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a war crime.

Many historical objects were also lost or taken from dig sites and museums.