US pays tribute to 9/11 victims on 22nd anniversary of terror attacks

American citizens and leaders across the US on Monday paid tributes and honoured the memories of the nearly 3,000 people who died in the horrific September 11 terrorist attacks as the US commemorates 22 years of the tragedy.

The victims of the 9/11 terror attacks were honoured during a solemn ceremony at the site of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in Lower Manhattan, where the twin towers of the World Trade Centre once stood and which were razed to the ground when two airlines hijacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists crashed into the towers, forever altering the Manhattan skyline on September 11, 2001.

Bells chimed and a moment of silence was observed at the exact time when tragedy struck across the US 22 years ago - at 8:46 am, the exact moment when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower, the first of the four attacks that occurred that morning. At 9:03 am United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower, at 9:37 am American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon near Washington DC, at 9:59 am the South Tower collapsed, 10:03 am United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and at 10:28 am the North Tower fell.

"Today, we remember the 2,977 precious lives stolen from us on 9/11 and reflect on all that was lost in the fire and ash that September morning. The American story itself changed on this day 22 years ago. But what could not — and will not — change is the character of this nation," President Joe Biden said in a post on platform X.

"September 11 is a day not only to remember, but a day of renewal and resolve for every American — in our devotion to this country, to the principles it embodies, to our democracy. That is what we owe one another. And what we owe future generations of Americans to come," he said in another post.

Vice President Kamala Harris said America will never forget the 2,977 lives lost 22 years ago today at Ground Zero, Shanksville, and the Pentagon.

"We remain indebted to the heroic first responders, and our hearts are with the family members and friends who lost loved ones," she said in a post on X.

At the memorial ceremony in New York, relatives and friends read out the names of all the nearly 3,000 people who died in the terror attacks, paying homage to them, signifying the message that the victims will never be forgotten.

India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, paying his tributes, said in a post on platform X "9/11 continues to remind us of the threat that terrorism poses to the world. India and the US are united in our resolve to fight against this menace #NeverForget #G20". His post was accompanied by a photograph of him paying tributes at the 9/11 Memorial site where the names of the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks are inscribed into the Memorial’s bronze parapets.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said in a post "22 years ago, our nation was forever changed by a cowardly act of terror that took the lives of thousands of innocent Americans. New Yorkers are united in our grief for those we lost and our gratitude to the first responders and other heroes of that day. We will #neverforget." New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, "September 11, 2001. We bore witness to so much horror that day. But we also saw courage, bravery, and the New York City spirit. And when the sun rose on September 12, we got up. Because that’s what New Yorkers always do." Several commemoration events have been planned across the US to mark the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

"The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have come to a close, but we remain relentlessly focused on combating terrorist threats to America," US Defence Secretary Austin Lloyd told a gathering of armed forces at the Pentagon 9/11 memorial ceremony.

He said the men and women of the Department of Defence "will always remember, and will always honour the memory of our fallen teammates, and we will always strive to be worthy of the memory of those we lost".

"September 11th reminds us that the American spirit still shines in times of testing. After the attacks, amid the horror and the grief, many Americans felt a deeper sense of duty to their communities and to their country, and all around the country with hearts breaking for the slain and the suffering, Americans looked within themselves and felt called to give back,” Austin said.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others in the worst attack against the homeland in our nation’s history, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. "Today we honour their memories and stand with the families and friends of those who perished in New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania,” he said.

"The memory of those who perished on 9/11 reminds us of why we must continue to fight against those who commit acts of terrorism. In the years since, we have stood side by side with partners from around the world to end the scourge of terrorism and ensure terrorists are held accountable for their crimes. The United States will continue to defend our homeland, our people, and our allies,” Blinken said.

Appearing on Fox News, Indian American Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said the country needs to acknowledge something that happened that was terrific, not just as a reminder to Americans, but as a tribute to those American families who lost loved ones, as a tribute to the heroes that went and risked their lives and lost their lives in the days following because of the aftereffects of it.

"...it was such a reminder that true evil really does exist in this world, and we're never immune from it. And it also reminded us about the greatness of the American spirit and our resilience," Haley said.

"That's why Biden and Kamala need to be out there, out front. That's why they need to be reminding every high schooler and every college student to watch 30 minutes of what that day was like, and understand that we can never be so flippant, and we can never be so absent-minded as to think that that can't happen again,” she said.

Indian-American Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy would be attending the 9/11 FDNY Pipes and Drums Tribute at the World Trade Center Monday night.

"We honour those brave Americans today - and those who lost their lives as well as their families... In the face of tragedy, we found unity. In the face of despair, we found renewed hope. Even as we pray that no calamity like it ever happens again, we can still long to be reunited once again as one nation under God,” he said.

"Now 22 years later, as we have a growing generation of young adults who weren’t yet born on that infamous day, we have an opportunity to ask how we commemorate our national identity on this day. We should celebrate our ability to gradually heal even our deepest wounds. We will forever continue to pursue our more perfect Union,” he added.