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Historic sculptures and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.

The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.

The six missing sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the Roman period, one official informed the news agency.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "details surrounding the disappearance of a collection of artifacts", and that measures had been taken to improve security and surveillance.

The head of national security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as saying that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

He continued that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being interrogated.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, holds the primary historical artifacts in Syria.

It includes historical records originating to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest writing system was discovered; early centuries CE ancient art from historical site, one of the most important cultural centres of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was constructed at Dura Europos.

The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the holdings was transferred and stored at secure places to ensure their safety.

It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partly ruined during the conflict.

The IS organization destroyed numerous religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were against their beliefs. International authorities censured the destruction as a war crime.

Countless historical objects were also destroyed or stolen from historical locations and cultural institutions.