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Historic statues and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The burglary was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside.

The multiple stolen sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the Roman period, one official informed the Associated Press.

Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to establish the "details surrounding the loss of a group of items", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and observation methods.

The head of internal security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that authorities were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items".

He continued that guards at the museum and additional people were being interrogated.

The Damascus Museum, which was established in 1919, contains the significant cultural treasures in the country.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where indications of the most ancient linguistic system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from historical site, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was built at Dura Europos.

The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. The majority of the artifacts was removed and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.

It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after opposition groups overthrew Syria's former leader.

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

The IS organization destroyed numerous religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, asserting that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the demolition as a atrocity.

Countless artefacts were also destroyed or looted from historical locations and collections.