24th Anniversary Of 9/11: Everything To Know About One Of The Biggest & Deadliest Strikes In History

Washington DC: Twenty-four years ago, on September 11, 2025, the United States witnessed a series of attacks that changed the course of history. Today, Americans are pausing to remember the nearly 3,000 victims of 9/11. The citizens are paying tributes to the victims who lost their lives in this strike. Volunteer work, ceremonies, events, and other tributes have been organised. The remembrance has been held during a time of increased political tensions. Read the article to learn about the events of 9/11.

About 9/11 attack

On September 11, 2201, a group of terrorists called al-Qaeda hijacked four U.S. passenger airplanes. The attackers, using the planes as guided missiles, crashed them into significant American landmarks, killing nearly 3,000 people and causing massive destruction. Two planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, flew into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City, and the impact set the towers on fire.

The incident led to trapping people on upper floors and covered the city with thick smoke. The burning of the towers collapsed. Both collapsed within an hour and forty-two minutes, destroying the remaining five structures in the complex.

The third plane struck the Pentagon

The third plane, American Airlines 77, targeted the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defence in Arlington County, Virginia. It caused a partial collapse. The fourth plane crashed in a rural Pennsylvania field (present-day, Flight 93 National Memorial) during a passenger revolt.

Operation Yellow Ribbon

Operation Yellow Ribbon was a Canadian operation that began on September 11, 2001, after the September 11 attacks, to manage the diversion of the numerous international civilian airline flights from U.S. airspace to Canadian airports. The country made the arrangements to ground these international flights at Canadian airports and also managed the passengers who were unaware of the events in the U.S.

The loss

The September 11 attack killed 2,977 people, excluding the 19 hijackers. At the Pentagon, 125 individuals were killed. Across the four flights, 246 passengers lost their lives. Many of those who survived the terror attack were diagnosed with health issues from exposure to toxic debris, ultimately leading to death. According to the latest data from the World Trade Center Health Program, nearly 50,00 individuals have been diagnosed with cancers linked to September 11 exposures.

Who were the attackers?

The attackers of the 9/11 terrorist attacks were 19 hijackers with the Islamic extremist group, al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden. He was a Saudi-born militant leader who was considered the mastermind of the attacks. While Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was part of the attack, recruited the pilots, Mohamed Atta was a pilot hijacker who was selected to lead the operation. There were a total of 19 terrorists, and most were from Saudi Arabia, with others from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Lebanon.

How did the U.S. respond to the attack?

In response to the attack, the U.S., led by George W Bush, initiated the War on Terror, a global military campaign that led to the invasion of Afghanistan and capture of Osama bin Laden. In 2003, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested in Pakistan, whereas Bin Laden was killed in 2011 in Pakistan.