Authorities said Tuesday the flags hanging in California in honor of the 13 U.S. service members who died in a suicide bomb attack at the Kabul airport have been vandalized.
13 American flags and one Marine Corps flag were hung from a fence of the Ivy Street overpass above the 91 Freeway in Riverside. On Monday, a citizen noticed the flags were damaged and notified the Riverside police.
A group called “What is Going on in Riverside County” shared photos of the flags online. Police thanked the group for making them aware of the problem and said “it’s obvious the flags were intentionally damaged”.
Police took the flags down, with the help of two citizens, and gave them to local Boy Scout Troop 703 to be properly retired.
No arrests have been made and police reportedly do not have a suspect description.
The bombing in late August killed eleven Marines, one Navy sailor and one Army soldier. Ten of the service members were based in California’s Camp Pendleton.