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Historic artifacts and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.

The robbery was discovered on Monday, when employees allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the inside.

The half-dozen missing pieces were crafted from marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source informed the Associated Press.

Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of items", and that steps had been taken to improve security and monitoring systems.

The head of national security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the government press as saying that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".

He continued that guards at the facility and additional people were being questioned.

The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, holds the significant cultural treasures in Syria.

It contains historical records originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where indications of the most ancient writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from the ancient city, a significant historical locations of the classical era; and a third century synagogue that was built at another archaeological site.

The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the collection was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.

It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, four weeks after insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partly ruined during the civil war.

The militant faction blew up several ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the destruction as a violation.

Numerous artefacts were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and collections.