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Valuable sculptures and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.

The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.

The half-dozen taken sculptures were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official told the news agency.

Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that measures had been taken to improve safeguarding and observation methods.

The director of national security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and unique items".

He continued that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being interrogated.

The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, contains the significant archaeological collection in the country.

It features clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where indications of the oldest known linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period classical statues from historical site, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.

The museum was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the internal strife. A large portion of the artifacts was evacuated and preserved at secret locations to protect them.

It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after insurgents removed the Assad regime.

All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partly ruined during the internal struggle.

The Islamic State group destroyed several temples and additional edifices at the ancient city, claiming that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the destruction as a violation.

Many historical objects were also destroyed or stolen from dig sites and cultural institutions.