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Historic statues and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.

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

The six stolen statues were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman period, an authority told the media outlet.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a number of items", and that steps had been implemented to strengthen security and observation methods.

The head of internal security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as stating that authorities were investigating the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

He noted that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being interrogated.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the primary cultural treasures in the country.

It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from historical site, a significant historical locations of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was established at another archaeological site.

The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and kept at secure places to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after rebel forces overthrew Syria's former leader.

Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the civil war.

The militant faction destroyed multiple temples and historical sites at Palmyra, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization condemned the destruction as a atrocity.

Numerous cultural items were also lost or taken from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.