America commemorates 24th anniversary of 9/11 attacks

Twenty-four years after the deadliest attack on U.S. soil, Americans are pausing to remember the nearly 3,000 victims of 9/11. Ceremonies and events are taking place across the United States to mark the sombre anniversary of the 2001 al-Qaeda hijackings that forever changed the nation.
On the 11th of September, 2001, four hijacked passenger planes were used as weapons. Two crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, a third hit the Pentagon just outside Washington D.C., and a fourth went down in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers fought back.
The attacks killed 2,977 people, not including the 19 hijackers. The victims included citizens from 77 countries and 441 first responders in New York City. The U.S. response to the attacks included a military invasion of Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaeda and hunt down its leader, Osama Bin Laden, who was killed in a 2011 raid in Pakistan.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday attended a solemn ceremony at the Pentagon to mark the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which claimed 2,977 lives.
At Ground Zero in New York, the annual tradition of reading aloud the names of the more than 2,700 victims of the Twin Towers collapse continued, honouring those lost in the deadliest terrorist strike on American soil.
The remembrances are being held during a time of increased political tensions. The 9/11 anniversary, often promoted as a day of national unity, comes a day after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at a college in Utah.
“Even 24 years later, it’s heart-wrenching,” said Jennifer Nilsen, who wore a T-shirt emblazoned with an image of her husband, Troy Nilsen, as she attended the commemoration at ground zero in lower Manhattan. “It feels the same way every year.”