🔗 Share this article

Valuable sculptures and additional items have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.

The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.

The half-dozen taken sculptures were crafted from marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, one official told the Associated Press.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen protection and surveillance.

The head of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that law enforcement were examining the theft, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

He added that guards at the institution and additional people were being interrogated.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the primary archaeological collection in the country.

It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the earliest writing system was found; Greco-Roman period classical statues from Palmyra, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was built at another archaeological site.

The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was evacuated and preserved at secret locations to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, a month after opposition groups deposed President Bashar al-Assad.

Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the conflict.

The IS organization blew up multiple temples and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were idolatrous. International authorities condemned the destruction as a atrocity.

Many artefacts were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.