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Historic sculptures and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.

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

The six stolen statues were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman period, one official informed the media outlet.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of items", and that actions had been enacted to improve security and monitoring systems.

The chief of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that authorities were investigating the theft, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".

He continued that guards at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.

The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the primary historical artifacts in Syria.

It features ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where proof of the earliest writing system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from Palmyra, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was constructed at Dura Europos.

The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the holdings was evacuated and preserved at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, four weeks after insurgents removed the Assad regime.

All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.

The Islamic State group demolished numerous religious structures and other structures at the ancient city, stating that they were un-Islamic. International authorities condemned the demolition as a atrocity.

Many artefacts were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and collections.