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Valuable statues and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

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

The multiple taken sculptures were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman era, a source told the media outlet.

Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to determine the "events surrounding the theft of a collection of artifacts", and that actions had been enacted to enhance security and surveillance.

The head of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".

He continued that guards at the museum and additional people were being interrogated.

The National Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the most important historical artifacts in the country.

It contains clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest complete alphabet was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, among the foremost ancient sites of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was established at an ancient location.

The institution was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. Most of the collection was removed and preserved at secure places to protect them.

It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, four weeks after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader.

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

The Islamic State group blew up numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization denounced the destruction as a violation.

Many artefacts were also damaged or looted from historical locations and museums.