BEIRUT, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The National News Agency (NNA)'s archive server storing valuable historical photos since 1961 was stolen, Lebanese caretaker Minister of Information Ziad Bakary said in a statement on Monday.
Besides the server, five computers in the archive room of the NNA were also stolen, Makary said, calling the theft a "crime against the nation."
The minister said that the ministry's staff were surprised on Monday morning to find that the door of the room was forced open and the items were stolen.
Investigations have been launched, the L'Orient Today news website quoted the minister as reporting.
Founded in 1961, the NNA is located at the headquarters of the Ministry of Information in the Hamra district of Beirut.
It has about 300 employees working at more than 20 offices across Lebanon. It publishes domestic news and international news in Arabic, English and French.
Theft and other crimes have been rising in Lebanon in the past few years, as the country struggles against an unprecedented economic crisis. ■
