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Historic statues and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, officials say.

The burglary was discovered on Monday, when employees apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside.

The multiple taken pieces were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman period, a source told the news agency.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to determine the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to enhance protection and observation methods.

The head of domestic security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".

He noted that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being interrogated.

The National Museum, which was created in 1919, contains the significant historical artifacts in the country.

It features historical records dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where evidence of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; early centuries CE classical statues from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the ancient world; and a ancient Jewish temple that was built at an ancient location.

The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the artifacts was transferred and stored at secure places to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, four weeks after insurgents removed Syria's former leader.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or partly ruined during the conflict.

The Islamic State group destroyed multiple ancient buildings and historical sites at the archaeological site, asserting that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the demolition as a atrocity.

Many artefacts were also damaged or stolen from historical locations and cultural institutions.