Terrorist Groups Attack Archeological Building in Raqqa, Loot its Contents

DAMASCUS-The General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums (GDAM) said on Sunday that a group of terrorists attacked the warehouses of the historical and archeological building of Hercules in the city of Raqqa and looted their contents.

 According to the GDAM, the storehouses contained hundreds of historical artifacts, mainly various pottery and plaster works in addition to parts of mosaic panels.

In a statement of which SANA got a copy, the GDAM said that the employees of Raqqa Antiquities Directorate took necessary procedures to protect the historic building after it had been attacked and stolen several times. Earlier, the workers evacuated the contents of the warehouse and transformed them to another house in the village, but unfortunately, those measures didn’t deter the terrorists from stealing the historic pieces under the threats of weapons.

The GDAM stressed that the terrorist act in Raqqa is a crime that saddens all the Syrians. It held those who instigated and facilitated the looting of the Syrian antiquities responsible for such heinous crimes.

The GDAM fears that the Raqqa National Museum may witness a similar crime, urging the Syrian citizens in the city to protect their historical properties.

H. Mustafa