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Ancient sculptures and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.

The robbery was found on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.

The half-dozen stolen statues were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman period, an authority stated to the Associated Press.

Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that measures had been enacted to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.

The head of domestic security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that authorities were examining the robbery, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and unique items".

He noted that guards at the facility and other persons were being interviewed.

The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the most important historical artifacts in Syria.

It includes clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was found; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a third century synagogue that was constructed at an ancient location.

The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the holdings was removed and stored at secure places to protect them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, a month after rebel forces removed the Assad regime.

All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.

The Islamic State group demolished numerous temples and other structures at the archaeological site, asserting that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a violation.

Numerous historical objects were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.