Ancient Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus

Historic statues and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.

The robbery was discovered on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been broken from the interior.

The multiple stolen pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, a source stated to the news agency.

Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a collection of items", and that actions had been enacted to improve safeguarding and observation methods.

The chief of national security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".

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

The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the significant cultural treasures in Syria.

It contains clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was constructed at Dura Europos.

The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the internal strife. The majority of the holdings was transferred and kept at secret locations to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, one month after rebel forces deposed President Bashar al-Assad.

Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.

The IS organization destroyed multiple religious structures and other structures at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. International authorities censured the destruction as a atrocity.

Countless cultural items were also damaged or stolen from dig sites and cultural institutions.