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Valuable statues and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.

The robbery was discovered on Monday, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior.

The six missing statues were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, a source stated to the news agency.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "details surrounding the theft of a collection of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to enhance security and observation methods.

The head of domestic security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as declaring that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".

He continued that security personnel at the facility and additional people were being interviewed.

The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, contains the most important cultural treasures in Syria.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the oldest known complete alphabet was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from Palmyra, one of the most important ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century religious building that was built at an ancient location.

The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to protect them.

It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, a month after insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partly ruined during the internal struggle.

The IS organization demolished several ancient buildings and other structures at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a violation.

Many historical objects were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and museums.