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Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.

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

The six stolen statues were made of marble and originated to the Roman era, an authority stated to the news agency.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that steps had been enacted to enhance protection and monitoring systems.

The director of internal security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

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

The cultural institution, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the significant archaeological collection in Syria.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was established at Dura Europos.

The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at secure places to protect them.

It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, one month after opposition groups deposed the Assad regime.

Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partly ruined during the internal struggle.

The militant faction demolished multiple temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, asserting that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization denounced the destruction as a war crime.

Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or stolen from dig sites and museums.