A number of Buddhist relics and monuments housed in the Maldives National Museum were destroyed Wednesday morning by a mob of five to six men, according to Minivan News, the Maldives’ independent newspaper (thanks to Artforum for calling our attention to the story). Details of the damage have not been released by the museum, pending a police investigation, but an anonymous museum source told the paper that the vandals caused “unimaginable damage.”

The men presumably targeted the Buddhist objects in the museum’s pre-Islamic wing. The attack coincided with protests last Tuesday night, which lead to the resignation of the country’s president, Mohamed Nasheed.

A museum official told Minivan News: “This is not like a glass we use at home that can be replaced by buying a new one from a shop. These are originals from our ancestors’ time. These cannot be replaced ever again.”