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Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.

The theft was found on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the interior.

The six taken pieces were marble creations and dated back to the Roman period, one official stated to the media outlet.

Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to determine the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of artifacts", and that measures had been taken to improve security and observation methods.

The head of national security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as declaring that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".

He continued that security personnel at the facility and other individuals were being questioned.

The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the significant archaeological collection in Syria.

It includes historical records tracing back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at an ancient location.

The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the holdings was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.

It partially resumed in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, a month after insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.

The IS organization demolished several religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, asserting that they were idolatrous. Unesco denounced the destruction as a violation.

Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or looted from historical locations and collections.