10 September 2016, 12:20 GMT
Swiss police have seized several looted items from a duty-free warehouse in Geneva, some of which came from the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, Geneva state prosecutors announced on Friday, Switzerland's Neue Zurcher Zeitung reported.
A total of nine culturally and historically important artifacts were seized, and they should be returned to their place of origin, Swiss authorities said. In the meantime, they will be exhibited in the local museum for art and history.
The operation recovered several looted artifacts from the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site which was overrun by the Daesh terror group in 2015 and liberated by Syrian government forces in March this year.
In this picture released and publicly provided by the Geneva prosecutor a piece of confiscated artifacts is on display in Geneva Switzerland Friday Dec. 2, 2016
© AP Photo / Geneva Prosecutors Office
In this picture released and publicly provided by the Geneva prosecutor a piece of confiscated artifacts is on display in Geneva Switzerland Friday Dec. 2, 2016
© AP Photo / Geneva Prosecutors Office
The recovered items include several ancient sculptures and tomb decorations from Palmyra, dating to between the first and third centuries AD. They reportedly reached Switzerland via ports in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
In this picture released and publicly provided by the Geneva prosecutor a piece of confiscated artifacts is on display in Geneva Switzerland Friday Dec. 2, 2016
© AP Photo / Geneva Prosecutors Office
In this picture released and publicly provided by the Geneva prosecutor a piece of confiscated artifacts is on display in Geneva Switzerland Friday Dec. 2, 2016
© AP Photo / Geneva Prosecutors Office
The city of Palmyra dates back 4,000 years, and most of its ruins date back to the Roman era. After they overran the city the Daesh terror group destroyed many ancient monuments, including the Baal Shamin temple and triumphal arch.
According to the group's fundamentalist Islamic doctrine, grave markers and statues are symbols of pagan idol-worshipping, and ought to be destroyed.
