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

The burglary was noticed on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.

The six taken statues were made of marble and dated back to the Roman era, one official informed the news agency.

Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a group of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and surveillance.

The head of domestic security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".

He noted that security personnel at the institution and other persons were being questioned.

The cultural institution, which was founded in 1919, holds the most important cultural treasures in the country.

It includes ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where indications of the oldest known writing system was found; Greco-Roman period classical statues from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was established at another archaeological site.

The museum was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the destructive conflict. Most of the holdings was removed and preserved at secure places to ensure their safety.

It reopened partially in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after insurgents removed the Assad regime.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partly ruined during the civil war.

The militant faction destroyed multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, stating that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the damage as a war crime.

Countless cultural items were also damaged or taken from archaeological sites and museums.