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Ancient artifacts and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.

The robbery was noticed on Monday, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.

The half-dozen missing sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the news agency.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to determine the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of exhibits", and that steps had been taken to enhance security and monitoring systems.

The head of internal security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that authorities were probing the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and unique items".

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

The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, houses the primary archaeological collection in Syria.

It features historical records tracing back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where evidence of the most ancient writing system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from historical site, a significant historical locations of the ancient world; and a third century Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.

The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and stored at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, four weeks after rebel forces deposed President Bashar al-Assad.

All six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.

The Islamic State group demolished multiple religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the destruction as a war crime.

Many artefacts were also damaged or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.