Ancient Statues Removed from the National Museum in Damascus

Ancient statues and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.

The robbery was discovered on Monday, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.

The multiple taken statues were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, a source told the Associated Press.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to determine the "events surrounding the loss of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to enhance security and surveillance.

The chief of domestic security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

He added that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being questioned.

The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the primary archaeological collection in Syria.

It features clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where evidence of the oldest known linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was established at an ancient location.

The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, a month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.

All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partly ruined during the internal struggle.

The militant faction demolished multiple temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. Unesco denounced the damage as a violation.

Many historical objects were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.