Historic Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus

Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.

The burglary was noticed on Monday, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.

The six missing pieces were marble creations and dated back to the Roman era, one official stated to the media outlet.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "events surrounding the theft of a number of artifacts", and that steps had been enacted to improve protection and surveillance.

The head of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".

He continued that museum protectors at the institution and other individuals were being interrogated.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, houses the significant archaeological collection in Syria.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where proof of the most ancient linguistic system was found; early centuries CE ancient art from historical site, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was constructed at an ancient location.

The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the holdings was transferred and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, a month after rebel forces overthrew Syria's former leader.

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

The militant faction destroyed several religious structures and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco censured the demolition as a war crime.

Numerous artefacts were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.