The country has been in turmoil since the overthrow of Bashar Assad’s government last year
Thieves have broken into Syria’s National Museum in Damascus and stolen several valuable Roman artifacts, according to multiple media reports.
Turmoil in Syria following years of civil war culminated last year in the ouster of longtime leader Bashar Assad, plunging the country into months of clashes between the new government’s forces and rival factions.
The break-in reportedly took place on Sunday evening and was discovered early Monday. The Associated Press said the thieves stole several ancient statues dating back to the Roman era, while other outlets reported that six gold ingots were among the missing items. An investigation is underway.
The theft followed warnings from international organizations. In June, the Paris-based International Council of Museums (ICOM) reported that an active black market for cultural objects had emerged in Syria with looting and illicit trafficking of artifacts being on the rise. Two months later, the Syrian antiquities agency and UNESCO launched a project to upgrade the museum’s security systems.
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