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Ancient sculptures and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The theft was noticed on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.

The six taken statues were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman era, an authority informed the news agency.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to improve safeguarding and surveillance.

The chief of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that law enforcement were investigating the theft, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items".

He continued that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being questioned.

The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, houses the most important cultural treasures in Syria.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE ancient art from historical site, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was built at Dura Europos.

The institution was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the outbreak of the internal strife. A large portion of the artifacts was removed and stored at secure places to protect them.

It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after insurgents removed Syria's former leader.

Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.

The IS organization destroyed multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were un-Islamic. International authorities denounced the damage as a war crime.

Numerous historical objects were also destroyed or looted from historical locations and collections.