Terrorists and US, French, Turkish Forces Continue Looting Syrian Artifacts

DAMASCUS, (ST)- Illegal excavation for antiquities have been escalated in the Syrian areas controlled by the American, French and Turkish forces and their agents from the different terrorist groups having positions in the cities of Manbej, Afrin, Idleb as well as in some places surrounding Raqqa city, according to reports coming up for the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums (GDMA).

The GDMA website made it clear that the latest of these reports talk about the US and French forces’ carrying out digging and looting activities in Um al-Sarj Mount area which is an archeologically-rich place.

 Excavation works are carried out openly in Manbej main old market, in the archeological tombs located in the eastern side of Manbej as well as in the center of the archeological “Syriac Church” which was exposed to vandalism. In addition, digging and looting acts were made in some archeological sites which were completely razed by heavy machinery with the purpose of theft.

These illegal activities blatantly violate the Syrian national sovereignty and the international laws and conventions and they aim at eliminating the Syrian cultural heritage, looting the Syrian artifacts and undermining the Syrian cultural identity, the website said.

The GDAM calls on all international organizations, particularly those concerned in culture, to condemn the violations that targeted the Syrian heritage and contributed to its destruction and to uncover the tools and parties which encouraged and made these violations.  

Hamda Mustafa