Several thieves broke into the National Museum of Syria and stole several statues from the Roman Empire, officials said today.
The National Museum in Damascus was briefly closed due to the incident, and the robbery was discovered yesterday morning, while officials believe it took place on Sunday evening.
An official from Syria's General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums said that six marble statues had been stolen and that an investigation into the incident was underway.
Damascus police chief Osama Atkeh confirmed to the state news agency SANA that several statues and rare collectibles had been stolen from the museum, and that guards and other museum staff were being questioned.
The National Museum in Damascus reopened on January 8 this year, a month after rebels ousted President Bashar al-Assad from power, ending Syria's 14-year civil war.
Members of the Islamic State (ISIS) have destroyed a large number of cultural properties during the war, including mausoleums in Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its colonnades and other ruins dating back some 2.000 years.
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