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Historic sculptures and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.

The burglary was noticed on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.

The multiple taken statues were made of marble and originated to the Roman period, one official informed the media outlet.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of items", and that actions had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.

The head of internal security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that authorities were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".

He continued that museum protectors at the institution and additional people were being questioned.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, contains the most important historical artifacts in Syria.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE classical statues from Palmyra, a significant ancient sites of the classical era; and a third century Jewish temple that was built at Dura Europos.

The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the internal strife. The majority of the collection was evacuated and preserved at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.

It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.

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

The Islamic State group destroyed numerous religious structures and other structures at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. International authorities condemned the destruction as a violation.

Countless artefacts were also lost or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.