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Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.

The burglary was discovered on Monday, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.

The half-dozen taken statues were made of marble and dated back to the Roman era, an authority informed the Associated Press.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been taken to improve safeguarding and surveillance.

The chief of national security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that law enforcement were investigating the theft, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

He noted that museum protectors at the institution and additional people were being questioned.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, houses the most important cultural treasures in Syria.

It contains historical records dating back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the earliest writing system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from historical site, among the foremost ancient sites of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was constructed at an ancient location.

The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was evacuated and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety.

It reopened partially in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after rebel forces deposed Syria's former leader.

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

The Islamic State group demolished multiple religious structures and other structures at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco censured the demolition as a war crime.

Countless historical objects were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.