Ancient Statues Taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus
Historic artifacts and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The robbery was discovered on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.
The multiple missing pieces were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the news agency.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to determine the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and observation methods.
The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as declaring that authorities were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He added that guards at the facility and other individuals were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, houses the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest complete alphabet was found; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a third century Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.
The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, twelve months after the start of the internal strife. The majority of the collection was removed and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in January 2025, four weeks after rebel forces deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The IS organization destroyed multiple religious structures and additional edifices at the ancient city, asserting that they were against their beliefs. International authorities censured the destruction as a violation.
Many artefacts were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
