🔗 Share this article

Historic sculptures and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.

The theft was noticed on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.

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

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the theft of a collection of items", and that steps had been enacted to enhance protection and monitoring systems.

The chief of national security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

He continued that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being interviewed.

The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, houses the most important cultural treasures in Syria.

It includes clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from historical site, a significant ancient sites of the historical period; and a ancient religious building that was established at an ancient location.

The facility was forced to close in 2012, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

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

The Islamic State group destroyed several temples and other structures at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the damage as a war crime.

Countless cultural items were also damaged or looted from archaeological sites and collections.