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Historic artifacts and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.

The six missing sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, a source told the news agency.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to improve protection and surveillance.

The chief of domestic security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as saying that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

He continued that museum protectors at the facility and additional people were being questioned.

The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the most important cultural treasures in the country.

It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; early centuries CE ancient art from historical site, among the foremost cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.

The institution was forced to close in 2012, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. The majority of the collection was evacuated and preserved at secure places to safeguard them.

It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, four weeks after opposition groups overthrew Syria's former leader.

All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partly ruined during the civil war.

The militant faction destroyed several religious structures and other structures at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the damage as a war crime.

Countless cultural items were also destroyed or stolen from historical locations and collections.