Historic Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus

Ancient sculptures and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.

The robbery was found on the start of the week, when staff reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside.

The six taken sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the Roman period, one official told the media outlet.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to identify the "details surrounding the theft of a group of exhibits", and that steps had been taken to enhance protection and surveillance.

The chief of national security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as stating that law enforcement were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

He added that security personnel at the institution and other persons were being interrogated.

The cultural institution, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the most important archaeological collection in Syria.

It includes clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from historical site, among the foremost ancient sites of the historical period; and a ancient Jewish temple that was constructed at another archaeological site.

The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the holdings was evacuated and kept at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, four weeks after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.

Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partly ruined during the civil war.

The militant faction destroyed numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, asserting that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the destruction as a violation.

Numerous artefacts were also lost or stolen from dig sites and collections.