Valuable Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus

Ancient artifacts and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.

The theft was found on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.

The half-dozen stolen sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the Associated Press.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that steps had been taken to enhance security and observation methods.

The chief of domestic security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as declaring that security forces were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".

He added that museum protectors at the institution and other persons were being questioned.

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

It contains historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where proof of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was built at another archaeological site.

The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. The majority of the artifacts was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.

It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, four weeks after rebel forces deposed the Assad regime.

Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the civil war.

The militant faction demolished multiple temples and additional edifices at the ancient city, asserting that they were un-Islamic. International authorities condemned the destruction as a atrocity.

Countless artefacts were also damaged or stolen from historical locations and museums.