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Historic sculptures and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.

The burglary was found on the start of the week, when employees allegedly found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.

The half-dozen missing pieces were made of marble and dated back to the Roman era, an authority informed the Associated Press.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen security and surveillance.

The head of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that authorities were examining the robbery, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".

He continued that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being questioned.

The National Museum, which was established in 1919, houses the primary historical artifacts in Syria.

It contains historical records tracing back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where evidence of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from Palmyra, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.

The museum was forced to close in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, four weeks after opposition groups deposed the Assad regime.

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

The IS organization blew up numerous temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the demolition as a atrocity.

Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.