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

The theft was found on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.

The half-dozen missing statues were marble creations and traced back to the Roman era, a source stated to the media outlet.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that actions had been implemented to improve safeguarding and observation methods.

The director of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as declaring that security forces were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".

He continued that guards at the institution and other individuals were being interviewed.

The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the significant cultural treasures in the country.

It contains clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where indications of the oldest known linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE ancient art from the ancient city, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.

The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the holdings was evacuated and kept at secret locations to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after rebel forces overthrew the Assad regime.

Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the civil war.

The Islamic State group demolished numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the ancient city, stating that they were un-Islamic. Unesco censured the destruction as a violation.

Countless cultural items were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.