Ancient Sculptures Taken from the National Museum in Damascus

Historic sculptures and additional items have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.

The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.

The six stolen pieces were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the media outlet.

Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to improve safeguarding and surveillance.

The director of national security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as declaring that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".

He continued that guards at the facility and additional people were being questioned.

The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, houses the primary cultural treasures in the country.

It includes ancient inscribed tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was built at an ancient location.

The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, four weeks after opposition groups overthrew Syria's former leader.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict.

The IS organization destroyed multiple ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization denounced the demolition as a war crime.

Many artefacts were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.