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Historic statues and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.

The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior.

The six taken pieces were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the media outlet.

Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of exhibits", and that actions had been taken to improve security and monitoring systems.

The director of domestic security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as declaring that authorities were investigating the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

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

The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, holds the most important cultural treasures in the country.

It contains historical records originating to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest writing system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was established at an ancient location.

The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the start of the internal strife. Most of the holdings was transferred and stored at secure places to protect them.

It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.

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

The IS organization demolished multiple religious structures and historical sites at the ancient city, asserting that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the damage as a war crime.

Countless historical objects were also lost or stolen from dig sites and collections.