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Valuable sculptures and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.

The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been forced from the interior.

The six stolen pieces were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman era, an authority informed the news agency.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been taken to strengthen security and observation methods.

The director of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as stating that authorities were examining the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

He continued that guards at the facility and additional people were being interrogated.

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

It features historical records dating back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the most ancient writing system was discovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from historical site, among the foremost cultural centres of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was built at another archaeological site.

The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the artifacts was transferred and stored at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.

All six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partly ruined during the civil war.

The Islamic State group destroyed several ancient buildings and other structures at the archaeological site, claiming that they were against their beliefs. International authorities censured the destruction as a atrocity.

Many cultural items were also damaged or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.