Ancient Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus

Ancient statues and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.

The burglary was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.

The half-dozen missing sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the Roman period, a source stated to the Associated Press.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to improve security and monitoring systems.

The chief of domestic security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as saying that law enforcement were investigating the theft, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".

He noted that museum protectors at the facility and other persons were being interviewed.

The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the significant archaeological collection in the country.

It contains historical records dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from Palmyra, among the foremost ancient sites of the ancient world; and a ancient religious building that was constructed at another archaeological site.

The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, one year after the start of the internal strife. The majority of the collection was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, a month after insurgents overthrew Syria's former leader.

All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or significantly impacted during the conflict.

The Islamic State group blew up several ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, asserting that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the destruction as a violation.

Numerous historical objects were also destroyed or stolen from historical locations and cultural institutions.