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Valuable artifacts and additional items have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.

The burglary was discovered on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the interior.

The six stolen sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source stated to the Associated Press.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to enhance security and surveillance.

The director of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as stating that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and valuable objects".

He noted that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being questioned.

The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the primary archaeological collection in the country.

It includes clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was found; early centuries CE classical statues from Palmyra, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was established at an ancient location.

The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It reopened partially in 2018 and returned to normal in January 2025, one month after rebel forces overthrew Syria's former leader.

All six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.

The militant faction blew up numerous temples and historical sites at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. International authorities condemned the destruction as a violation.

Many historical objects were also lost or taken from archaeological sites and cultural institutions.