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Ancient sculptures and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.

The robbery was found on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been forced from the inside.

The six taken pieces were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman era, one official told the Associated Press.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a collection of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen protection and monitoring systems.

The chief of domestic security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that security forces were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".

He continued that guards at the museum and other persons were being interviewed.

The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, houses the most important archaeological collection in the country.

It features historical records originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where evidence of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from Palmyra, among the foremost ancient sites of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was established at an ancient location.

The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the artifacts was evacuated and kept at secure places to protect them.

It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents removed Syria's former leader.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the conflict.

The IS organization demolished numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the demolition as a atrocity.

Numerous historical objects were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and collections.