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Ancient statues and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The theft was noticed on Monday, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.

The six stolen pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman era, one official stated to the news agency.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to determine the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of artifacts", and that measures had been taken to enhance security and surveillance.

The head of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that law enforcement were probing the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".

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

The National Museum, which was created in 1919, contains the primary archaeological collection in Syria.

It includes ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where evidence of the earliest linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from the ancient city, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; and a ancient synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.

The institution was forced to close in 2012, one year after the start of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the holdings was evacuated and stored at secure places to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in January 2025, one month after opposition groups overthrew Syria's former leader.

Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partly ruined during the civil war.

The militant faction blew up multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the damage as a violation.

Numerous cultural items were also damaged or looted from historical locations and collections.