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Ancient sculptures and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.

The burglary was noticed on Monday, when museum workers allegedly found that an entrance had been broken from the interior.

The half-dozen stolen sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the Roman period, one official informed the Associated Press.

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

The chief of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as stating that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and unique items".

He added that security personnel at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, contains the significant archaeological collection in Syria.

It includes clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the most ancient complete alphabet was discovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from historical site, a significant cultural centres of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was established at an ancient location.

The facility was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the start of the internal strife. Most of the holdings was removed and preserved 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 opposition groups deposed the Assad regime.

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

The IS organization destroyed several temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. International authorities denounced the destruction as a war crime.

Countless historical objects were also damaged or stolen from historical locations and collections.