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Historic statues and cultural objects have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.

The robbery was noticed on Monday, when staff reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.

The six stolen sculptures were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official stated to the Associated Press.

Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of exhibits", and that steps had been implemented to improve security and observation methods.

The director of internal security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were investigating the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and unique items".

He added that guards at the institution and other individuals were being questioned.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the primary cultural treasures in the country.

It features clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was discovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant historical locations of the ancient world; and a ancient Jewish temple that was constructed at Dura Europos.

The institution was forced to close in 2012, one year after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was transferred and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, four weeks after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader.

All six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.

The Islamic State group demolished numerous temples and historical sites at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization denounced the demolition as a war crime.

Many historical objects were also damaged or looted from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.