Ancient Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus

Valuable sculptures and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.

The theft was found on Monday, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the interior.

The multiple taken pieces were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, an authority informed the news agency.

Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a group of items", and that actions had been enacted to enhance safeguarding and surveillance.

The chief of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that law enforcement were probing the theft, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items".

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

The National Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the most important archaeological collection in Syria.

It contains clay cuneiform tablets originating to the ancient era from historical site, where indications of the earliest complete alphabet was uncovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, a significant ancient sites of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was established at another archaeological site.

The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the holdings was transferred and preserved at secret locations to protect them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, one month after opposition groups overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the civil war.

The militant faction blew up several ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the damage as a violation.

Countless artefacts were also destroyed or looted from archaeological sites and museums.