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Valuable statues and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.

The burglary was found on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.

The multiple missing pieces were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, an authority told the Associated Press.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of artifacts", and that steps had been implemented to strengthen protection and monitoring systems.

The chief of national security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as stating that authorities were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".

He noted that guards at the institution and other individuals were being questioned.

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

It contains historical records tracing back to the Bronze Age from historical site, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was discovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant historical locations of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was constructed at another archaeological site.

The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the beginning of the internal strife. The majority of the artifacts was removed and stored at secret locations to protect them.

It reopened partially in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, one month after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.

All six of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partly ruined during the internal struggle.

The militant faction destroyed multiple religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, asserting that they were un-Islamic. Unesco condemned the destruction as a war crime.

Countless cultural items were also destroyed or stolen from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.