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Valuable statues and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.

The robbery was noticed on Monday, when staff reportedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.

The half-dozen missing sculptures were made of marble and originated to the Roman era, an authority told the news agency.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to enhance protection and observation methods.

The head of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".

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

The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the significant cultural treasures in the country.

It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from historical site, where evidence of the earliest writing system was uncovered; early centuries CE ancient art from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was built at Dura Europos.

The facility was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was evacuated and preserved at secret locations to safeguard them.

It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, a month after insurgents removed the Assad regime.

Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the civil war.

The IS organization blew up multiple religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, asserting that they were idolatrous. Unesco denounced the destruction as a atrocity.

Numerous historical objects were also destroyed or stolen from historical locations and museums.