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Historic statues and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.

The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.

The six taken statues were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, a source told the Associated Press.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to identify the "details surrounding the loss of a group of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to improve protection and surveillance.

The chief of national security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as declaring that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and unique items".

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

The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the significant cultural treasures in the country.

It contains historical records dating back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a ancient Jewish temple that was built at Dura Europos.

The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. Most of the holdings was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in early this year, a month after insurgents removed the Assad regime.

All six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.

The Islamic State group destroyed several ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a violation.

Countless cultural items were also damaged or looted from archaeological sites and collections.