Six ancient statues stolen from Syria's National Museum of Damascus

DAMASCUS (Reuters) -Six ancient statues have been stolen from the National Museum of Damascus, which is one of the Middle East's oldest cultural institutions and houses a collection showing Syria's archaeological and artistic heritage.

A source at the museum told Reuters that a thief broke a glass display case on Monday and apparently stayed inside the building until evening.

Authorities have launched an investigation, according to the head of internal security in Damascus, Osama Mohammad Khair Atkeh.

Khair Atkeh, quoted by state news agency SANA, said specialised teams were conducting tracking and search operations to arrest those responsible and recover the stolen artefacts.

Security guards and officials were being questioned to determine the circumstances of the incident, he added.

Established in 1919, the National Museum closed in 2012 because of fighting in the capital at the start of the country's civil war. It partially reopened in 2018, and resumed full operations in January 2025, a month after rebels toppled former President Bashar al-Assad.

(Reporting by Kinda MakiehWriting by Tala RamadanEditing by Frances Kerry)