Two armed and masked thieves stole historical objects from the Fort of Guadalupe Museum in Puebla city on Friday night after tying up a security guard.

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said in a statement that the thieves got away with 36 historic coins and medals, three sabers, a digital video recorder and the monitor of the museum’s video surveillance system.

INAH personnel were informed of the theft by the security guard who managed to free himself after the thieves had fled.

Accompanied by state and municipal police, they carried out an inspection of the museum in the early hours of Saturday morning to determine the extent of the theft. A criminal complaint was subsequently filed with the federal Attorney General’s Office, INAH said.

The institute said it would seek greater support from municipal and state authorities in order to bolster security at all museums and cultural precincts in Puebla.

The Fort of Guadalupe Museum houses items of historical importance from the Battle of Puebla, a clash between the Mexican army and invading French forces on May 5, 1862. The fort itself was successfully defended by the Mexican soldiers who, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, won a famous victory over the better-equipped French army.

The fort museum, located in a cultural precinct five kilometers northeast of downtown Puebla, will remain closed until further notice, INAH said.

Source: El Universal (sp), Milenio (sp)