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Ancient sculptures and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.

The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when employees apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.

The six stolen sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, one official stated to the Associated Press.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to determine the "events surrounding the theft of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been taken to strengthen security and observation methods.

The director of domestic security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".

He noted that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.

The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the primary cultural treasures in Syria.

It features clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where proof of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.

The facility was forced to close in 2012, a year after the start of the internal strife. Most of the holdings was evacuated and kept at secret locations to protect them.

It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.

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

The Islamic State group destroyed several religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities denounced the destruction as a violation.

Countless historical objects were also damaged or looted from dig sites and collections.