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Historic statues and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The burglary was found on Monday, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.

The multiple taken pieces were made of marble and traced back to the Roman period, an authority informed the Associated Press.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to identify the "details surrounding the loss of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been taken to enhance safeguarding and surveillance.

The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

He continued that security personnel at the facility and other persons were being interrogated.

The National Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the most important cultural treasures in Syria.

It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from historical site, among the foremost cultural centres of the ancient world; and a ancient religious building that was constructed at Dura Europos.

The facility was forced to close in 2012, one year after the start of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was evacuated and kept at secure places to safeguard them.

It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, four weeks after insurgents overthrew Syria's former leader.

Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.

The IS organization demolished multiple religious structures and other structures at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the damage as a violation.

Countless historical objects were also damaged or looted from historical locations and museums.