‘Syria's Antiques, Historical Sites Ruined by Terrorist Groups’

Date: 11 June 2019 - 21:34

News ID: ۶۶۸۶۵

DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – Terrorist groups have ruined, stolen and smuggled millions of antiques in Syria during the past several years, a Syrian official says.
Foreign-backed terrorists have stolen and smuggled at least one million pieces of antiques to regions outside the country, especially Turkey, Jordan and the occupied Palestinian territories, manager of Syria's museum and historical monuments Mahmoud Hamoud told the Arabic-language website of Sputnik.
He added that at least 10,000 historical sites have been destroyed in the extensive excavation operations by the terrorist groups in Syria.
Hamoud also said that the occupying Turkish forces play an important role in the destruction and looting of antiques in different parts of the lands occupied by them, including Jandaris.
Relevant reports said in January that the Syrian authorities recently recovered two Roman-era artifacts that were stolen by the Daesh terrorists group in eastern Syria.
The Syrian authorities recovered the two Roman-era artifacts while combing through the Al-Sukhnah countryside during the past week.
"The authorities found two relief busts made of limestone that the terrorists had stolen from Tadmur (Palmyra) city prior to its defeat there with the intent of smuggling them abroad,” it added.
Director of the Homs Antiquities and Museum Department Hussam Hamish, who inspected the artifacts, said that the Roman-era funerary relief busts bear Palmyrene inscriptions and depict men from Palmyra, one with a palm leaf on his hand, and the other holding his attire on his right hand.
The Daesh terrorists left the Roman-era artifacts at an abandoned site in the Al-Sukhnah countryside.