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Historic artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say.

The robbery was noticed on Monday, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.

The six stolen statues were made of marble and dated back to the Roman period, one official told the media outlet.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of artifacts", and that steps had been implemented to improve security and observation methods.

The head of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as saying that security forces were investigating the theft, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

He continued that security personnel at the facility and other persons were being interrogated.

The National Museum, which was established in 1919, houses the most important historical artifacts in Syria.

It contains historical records dating back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where indications of the most ancient complete alphabet was discovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important cultural centres of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was built at another archaeological site.

The facility was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the collection was evacuated and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.

It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, four weeks after insurgents removed the Assad regime.

Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the civil war.

The militant faction blew up multiple religious structures and historical sites at the ancient city, claiming that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization condemned the demolition as a violation.

Many artefacts were also destroyed or stolen from archaeological sites and museums.