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Historic sculptures and cultural objects have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.

The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.

The half-dozen missing sculptures were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman period, one official told the media outlet.

Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a group of items", and that measures had been taken to strengthen safeguarding and surveillance.

The chief of national security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

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

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

It includes ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where evidence of the oldest known linguistic system was found; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, a significant ancient sites of the classical era; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.

The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and stored at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, four weeks after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.

Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partly ruined during the conflict.

The militant faction destroyed numerous religious structures and other structures at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the demolition as a violation.

Many historical objects were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.