Valuable Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus

Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.

The robbery was noticed on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.

The six stolen sculptures were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, one official told the Associated Press.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a group of exhibits", and that measures had been enacted to strengthen security and monitoring systems.

The chief of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that authorities were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".

He noted that guards at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.

The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the most important archaeological collection in the country.

It features ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from historical site, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a ancient religious building that was established at another archaeological site.

The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the internal strife. The majority of the holdings was evacuated and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.

It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, one month after insurgents deposed President Bashar al-Assad.

All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partly ruined during the internal struggle.

The Islamic State group blew up several temples and other structures at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a violation.

Countless historical objects were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and museums.