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

Valuable artifacts and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.

The robbery was discovered on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.

The half-dozen taken pieces were made of marble and traced back to the Roman era, one official told the Associated Press.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that measures had been implemented to enhance protection and monitoring systems.

The head of national security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that authorities were examining the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".

He added that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being questioned.

The National Museum, which was created in 1919, contains the most important historical artifacts in Syria.

It includes historical records originating to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the earliest complete alphabet was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was established at another archaeological site.

The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was removed and stored at secure places to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents deposed Syria's former leader.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the conflict.

The militant faction destroyed numerous religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the damage as a violation.

Countless historical objects were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and collections.