BAGHDAD, Oct 24 (NNN-NINA) – The Iraqi government confirmed on Friday, that, Britain will return nearly 5,000 looted artefacts, the largest process of returning smuggled Iraqi antiquities.
A statement by the media office of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, said that, during his official visit to Britain, al-Kadhimi visited the British Museum in London, and was briefed on the artefacts that will be officially delivered to Iraq early next year.
“The number of artefacts prepared for delivery to the Iraqi government is estimated at 5,000 pieces of clay tablets,” the statement said, adding, the return of such a number, is the largest so far.
According to official statistics, about 15,000 archaeological pieces of Iraqi treasure-trove were stolen or destroyed by looters, mainly in the Iraqi national museum in Baghdad, after Saddam Hussein’s regime was toppled by U.S.-led troops in 2003.
Furthermore, statistics showed that over 10,000 sites in Iraq are officially recognised as archaeological sites, but most of them are not safeguarded and many are still being looted.– NNN-NINA
