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

The theft was noticed on the start of the week, when employees allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.

The half-dozen missing pieces were made of marble and traced back to the Roman period, a source informed the media outlet.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that steps had been taken to strengthen protection and observation methods.

The head of internal security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that security forces were probing the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".

He noted that security personnel at the museum and other persons were being interviewed.

The National Museum, which was established in 1919, houses the significant archaeological collection in Syria.

It contains historical records tracing back to the ancient era from historical site, where indications of the oldest known writing system was found; early centuries CE ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost cultural centres of the classical era; and a ancient synagogue that was built at another archaeological site.

The institution was forced to close in 2012, a year after the start of the destructive conflict. Most of the holdings was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them.

It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, a month after opposition groups overthrew Syria's former leader.

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

The militant faction blew up multiple religious structures and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. International authorities censured the destruction as a atrocity.

Countless cultural items were also lost or stolen from historical locations and cultural institutions.