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Historic statues and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.

The theft was noticed on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.

The six taken pieces were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, an authority stated to the news agency.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to improve security and monitoring systems.

The head of domestic security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as declaring that law enforcement were probing the robbery, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".

He continued that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.

The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, houses the most important archaeological collection in the country.

It contains historical records tracing back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where evidence of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.

The facility was forced to close in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the internal strife. Most of the collection was evacuated and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.

All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partially destroyed during the conflict.

The militant faction blew up multiple temples and other structures at the ancient city, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the damage as a war crime.

Many artefacts were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and cultural institutions.