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Ancient artifacts and additional items have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The burglary was discovered on Monday, when staff reportedly found that an entrance had been broken from the interior.

The multiple missing statues were made of marble and originated to the Roman era, one official informed the news agency.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to identify the "details surrounding the theft of a group of artifacts", and that steps had been taken to enhance security and monitoring systems.

The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that security forces were investigating the theft, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".

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

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, houses the primary cultural treasures in the country.

It features ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where proof of the most ancient writing system was found; Greco-Roman period ancient art from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was built at an ancient location.

The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at secure places to protect them.

It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, one month after insurgents removed the Assad regime.

All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partly ruined during the civil war.

The IS organization blew up several ancient buildings and other structures at Palmyra, stating that they were idolatrous. International authorities condemned the demolition as a violation.

Countless historical objects were also destroyed or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.