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Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.

The theft was found on Monday, when staff apparently found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.

The six taken sculptures were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman period, a source stated to the Associated Press.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of items", and that steps had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and observation methods.

The head of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as stating that security forces were investigating the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

He noted that security personnel at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.

The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the significant historical artifacts in Syria.

It features clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the most ancient linguistic system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from historical site, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a ancient Jewish temple that was constructed at another archaeological site.

The institution was forced to close in 2012, a year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the holdings was evacuated and preserved at secure places to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents overthrew the Assad regime.

All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the conflict.

The IS organization demolished multiple temples and historical sites at the ancient city, asserting that they were against their beliefs. International authorities censured the destruction as a atrocity.

Numerous artefacts were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.