PM remembers 9/11 victims, reaffirms India's resolve against terrorism
ON the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks in the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday remembered and honoured the victims and expressed solidarity with the families whose "lives were forever changed" by the tragedy.
Taking to social media, PM Modi said, "25 years on from the horrific 9/11 attacks, we remember and honour the victims and stand in solidarity with the families whose lives were forever changed. Terrorism has claimed countless lives around the world. As a victim of cross-border terrorism, India has been at the forefront of this fight for several decades."
The Prime Minister reaffirmed India's unwavering opposition to terrorism in all its forms and expressed solidarity with global efforts to combat the threat. "While the threat keeps evolving, our resolve and opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations remain unwavering. We stand in solidarity with all efforts to combat this scourge," PM Modi said in the post.
He also shared glimpses of his 2014 visit to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
Twenty-five years ago, the world watched in shock as four hijacked commercial aircraft were used in a coordinated terror attack in the United States on September 11, 2001.
Two of the planes crashed into New York City's World Trade Centre, bringing down the iconic Twin Towers and killing thousands of people. Americans are commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11 by remembering those who lost their lives and reflecting on the sweeping consequences of the al-Qaida attacks on symbols of US power and prosperity.
Friday's anniversary is being marked with memorial rituals, including wreath-laying ceremonies, flag-flying, moments of silence, vigils and readings of victims' names. Volunteer projects are also being organised in tribute to the victims.
For many others, the anniversary is an occasion for private reflection or, particularly in schools, an opportunity to educate younger generations about the attacks that unfolded in a single morning but left nearly 3,000 people dead and created a decades-long aftermath, ranging from personal grief to wars fought far from US shores.
On September 11, 2001, al-Qaida extremists hijacked four commercial jets and crashed them into the World Trade Centre in New York, the Pentagon near Washington, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The impacts brought down the World Trade Center's Twin Towers, icons of US economic power and among the tallest buildings in the world at the time, while another aircraft struck the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defense.
The fourth plane was also believed to have been headed towards the US capital. However, the aircraft crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew members confronted the hijackers and attempted to regain control of the plane.
