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Historic artifacts and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.

The theft was found on Monday, when employees allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.

The half-dozen taken pieces were made of marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the media outlet.

Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the theft of a collection of artifacts", and that measures had been implemented to improve security and monitoring systems.

The head of domestic security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as saying that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had targeted several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

He continued that security personnel at the facility and additional people were being interrogated.

The cultural institution, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the primary historical artifacts in the country.

It features historical records dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where indications of the oldest known linguistic system was found; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.

The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the internal strife. The majority of the holdings was transferred and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.

It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, one month after insurgents deposed the Assad regime.

All six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.

The militant faction destroyed several ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. Unesco condemned the demolition as a violation.

Countless cultural items were also damaged or taken from dig sites and collections.