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Historic statues and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.

The robbery was noticed on Monday, when staff allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the interior.

The six taken statues were made of marble and dated back to the Roman era, one official stated to the Associated Press.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "details surrounding the loss of a number of artifacts", and that actions had been taken to enhance safeguarding and surveillance.

The director of domestic security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".

He noted that museum protectors at the museum and other persons were being questioned.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, contains the primary archaeological collection in Syria.

It includes ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the earliest complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, a significant ancient sites of the classical era; and a ancient Jewish temple that was built at an ancient location.

The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. Most of the collection was transferred and preserved at secret locations to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, four weeks after rebel forces overthrew Syria's former leader.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.

The Islamic State group demolished multiple temples and other structures at the ancient city, claiming that they were idolatrous. Unesco censured the destruction as a violation.

Many historical objects were also lost or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.