Historic Statues Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.
The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside.
The six missing statues were made of marble and dated back to the Roman period, one official stated to the news agency.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of artifacts", and that steps had been enacted to improve protection and surveillance.
The director of domestic security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that law enforcement were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and unique items".
He noted that security personnel at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.
The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the significant cultural treasures in Syria.
It contains historical records tracing back to the ancient era from historical site, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was found; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient religious building that was constructed at Dura Europos.
The facility was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the outbreak of the internal strife. The majority of the holdings was transferred and preserved at secret locations to ensure their safety.
It partially resumed in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after insurgents overthrew the Assad regime.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partly ruined during the civil war.
The Islamic State group demolished multiple religious structures and historical sites at the ancient city, stating that they were idolatrous. Unesco censured the demolition as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.
