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Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.

The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.

The multiple stolen sculptures were made of marble and traced back 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 disappearance of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen protection and observation methods.

The head of internal security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that law enforcement were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and unique items".

He added that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being interrogated.

The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the significant cultural treasures in Syria.

It features historical records originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was found; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant historical locations of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at an ancient location.

The museum was forced to close in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the internal strife. The majority of the collection was transferred and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, four weeks after opposition groups deposed the Assad regime.

Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.

The Islamic State group demolished multiple temples and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the destruction as a violation.

Countless artefacts were also lost or taken from dig sites and cultural institutions.