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Ancient artifacts and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.

The robbery was noticed on Monday, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.

The half-dozen stolen statues were marble creations and originated to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the media outlet.

Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of exhibits", and that steps had been taken to enhance protection and surveillance.

The chief of domestic security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and unique items".

He noted that guards at the facility and additional people were being questioned.

The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the most important cultural treasures in Syria.

It contains clay cuneiform tablets originating to the ancient era from historical site, where indications of the earliest writing system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant historical locations of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was constructed at an ancient location.

The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the collection was evacuated and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after insurgents removed the Assad regime.

Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict.

The Islamic State group destroyed multiple ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a atrocity.

Many cultural items were also lost or stolen from dig sites and collections.