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Ancient statues and cultural objects have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The robbery was discovered on Monday, when employees reportedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.

The half-dozen missing sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the Roman era, one official informed the news agency.

Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that measures had been implemented to improve protection and monitoring systems.

The chief of national security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as saying that authorities were investigating the theft, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

He added that security personnel at the facility and other individuals were being interviewed.

The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the significant cultural treasures in Syria.

It contains clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from historical site, where indications of the oldest known complete alphabet was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant historical locations of the historical period; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at Dura Europos.

The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the internal strife. A large portion of the collection was evacuated and stored at secure places to ensure their safety.

It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, a month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the civil war.

The Islamic State group demolished multiple ancient buildings and historical sites at the ancient city, asserting that they were un-Islamic. Unesco censured the demolition as a atrocity.

Numerous cultural items were also lost or taken from archaeological sites and museums.