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Valuable statues and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.

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

The six stolen statues were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the media outlet.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and observation methods.

The director of national security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as saying that security forces were investigating the incident, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

He added that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being questioned.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the primary historical artifacts in the country.

It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where indications of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, among the foremost cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient religious building that was built at another archaeological site.

The institution was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the outbreak of the internal strife. Most of the holdings was transferred and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety.

It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, one month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.

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

The Islamic State group destroyed numerous religious structures and other structures at the ancient city, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the demolition as a violation.

Numerous artefacts were also lost or stolen from historical locations and museums.