Baghdad, Jul 9 (IANS): Iraq's Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities has announced the successful repatriation of 181 smuggled artifacts from the US and other countries.

The recovered items include a bronze figurine and eight metal boxes containing ancient skeletons, the Ministry said on Monday in a statement.

These artifacts were originally smuggled from the Nimrud archaeological site in Nineveh province to Los Angeles in the 1990s, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Ministry highlighted the role played by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani's visit to the US in April in securing the return of these artifacts.

The Ministry also announced the return of many artifacts of different eras that had been smuggled to countries such as Jordan, Norway, Germany, and Britain.

The Ministry emphasised its commitment to tracking down and reclaiming smuggled Iraqi antiquities scattered across the globe. These efforts aim to preserve this cultural heritage and prevent further tampering or vandalism.

A significant number of Iraqi antiquities and archaeological sites were looted or destroyed following the 2003 US invasion.