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Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.

The robbery was found on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside.

The half-dozen stolen pieces were made of marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the Associated Press.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to establish the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that actions had been enacted to improve safeguarding and monitoring systems.

The head of internal security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".

He noted that guards at the facility and other persons were being questioned.

The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the primary cultural treasures in Syria.

It includes ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.

The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was removed and kept at secure places to ensure their safety.

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

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

The militant faction blew up numerous temples and other structures at the archaeological site, asserting that they were un-Islamic. Unesco condemned the destruction as a war crime.

Numerous cultural items were also damaged or taken from archaeological sites and collections.