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Historic statues and cultural objects have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.

The burglary was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.

The six stolen pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman period, an authority informed the news agency.

Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to determine the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been enacted to strengthen protection and monitoring systems.

The head of national security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that law enforcement were investigating the robbery, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

He added that museum protectors at the institution and additional people were being interviewed.

The National Museum, which was established in 1919, contains the significant cultural treasures in the country.

It contains clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from historical site, where proof of the oldest known writing system was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was constructed at an ancient location.

The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, twelve months after the outbreak of the internal strife. Most of the collection was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after rebel forces deposed the Assad regime.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partly ruined during the civil war.

The Islamic State group demolished multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities censured the damage as a war crime.

Many historical objects were also damaged or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.