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Historic artifacts and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.

The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.

The multiple stolen pieces were made of marble and traced back to the Roman era, an authority stated to the news agency.

Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to determine the "events surrounding the loss of a group of artifacts", and that measures had been taken to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.

The chief of internal security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

He added that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being interrogated.

The cultural institution, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the most important archaeological collection in Syria.

It contains clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the oldest known writing system was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was constructed at an ancient location.

The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the artifacts was transferred and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.

It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, four weeks after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.

The Islamic State group blew up numerous religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. Unesco denounced the demolition as a atrocity.

Countless artefacts were also destroyed or stolen from dig sites and museums.