Ancient Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus

Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.

The burglary was noticed on Monday, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.

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

The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been enacted to enhance security and monitoring systems.

The chief of internal security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".

He continued that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being interviewed.

The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, houses the most important historical artifacts in Syria.

It contains historical records originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the earliest complete alphabet was found; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important cultural centres of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was established at Dura Europos.

The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was transferred and stored at secure places to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, a month after rebel forces removed the Assad regime.

All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.

The militant faction demolished several temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the damage as a war crime.

Countless cultural items were also destroyed or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.