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Historic sculptures and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.

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

The half-dozen taken pieces were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source told the media outlet.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to determine the "events surrounding the loss of a group of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen protection and surveillance.

The chief of national security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the government press as saying that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and unique items".

He noted that guards at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.

The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the primary historical artifacts in Syria.

It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant ancient sites of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was constructed at Dura Europos.

The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the collection was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the conflict.

The IS organization destroyed several ancient buildings and other structures at Palmyra, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities censured the demolition as a violation.

Many cultural items were also damaged or looted from dig sites and collections.