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

The burglary was found on Monday, when employees reportedly found that an entrance had been forced from the inside.

The multiple missing sculptures were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, a source told the media outlet.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been taken to strengthen security and surveillance.

The chief of national security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as declaring that law enforcement were examining the theft, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and unique items".

He added that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being interrogated.

The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, contains the most important archaeological collection in Syria.

It contains clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important cultural centres of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at Dura Europos.

The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the beginning of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the artifacts was evacuated and preserved at secret locations to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, four weeks after opposition groups deposed Syria's former leader.

Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.

The Islamic State group destroyed several religious structures and other structures at the ancient city, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco censured the destruction as a atrocity.

Many historical objects were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.