Overview
- Authorities discovered a broken door early Monday following an overnight break-in of the National Museum of Damascus’s classical department.
- Damascus police chief Brig. Gen. Osama Atkeh told state media that several statues and rare collectibles were taken, confirming a theft.
- An official who spoke to the Associated Press reported six marble statues were stolen, while AFP-linked sources described the missing items as gold ingots.
- The museum has been temporarily closed, and several guards and employees were questioned or briefly detained before being released, according to security sources.
- The targeted wing holds artifacts from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods, underscoring concerns about cultural heritage security despite earlier upgrades such as metal gates and cameras.