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Ancient sculptures and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.

The burglary was found on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the inside.

The half-dozen missing statues were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman era, an authority told the Associated Press.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of exhibits", and that steps had been taken to enhance security and monitoring systems.

The head of domestic security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that authorities were probing the robbery, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".

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

The cultural institution, which was created in 1919, houses the primary archaeological collection in the country.

It includes ancient inscribed tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where evidence of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at an ancient location.

The facility was forced to close in 2012, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the collection was removed and stored at undisclosed sites to protect them.

It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, four weeks after insurgents removed the Assad regime.

Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.

The IS organization destroyed several temples and other structures at the archaeological site, asserting that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a violation.

Many historical objects were also damaged or looted from dig sites and collections.