The United States on Thursday marked the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with solemn ceremonies and renewed pledges to defend the nation and freedom. Nearly 3,000 people were killed when al-Qaeda hijackers turned four passenger planes into weapons against America’s most visible landmarks.

President Donald Trump led the remembrance at the Pentagon, one of the three sites scarred by the attacks. “We will build taller, grow stronger, fight harder, and soar higher. And together, we will go forward as one people with one heart, one fate, one flag, and one glorious destiny under one Almighty God,” Trump said.

He paid tribute to victims and first responders, thousands of whom still face health challenges from toxic debris exposure. “We will defend the nation they served, the values they upheld, and the freedom for which they died,” he added.

The ceremonies, held at Ground Zero in New York, the Pentagon in Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, included tolling bells and the solemn reading of the 2,977 names of those who perished. Among them were about 250 people of Indian origin, including 32 born in India.

The anniversary came under the shadow of fresh political violence, following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk a day earlier in Utah. Trump referenced the attack while highlighting the unity that Americans showed after 9/11 compared to today’s divisions.

Across the country, communities gathered at memorials to reaffirm the vow: “We will never forget September 11, 2001.”

Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the attacks, was later killed in Pakistan by US forces in 2011, underscoring the long shadow of terrorism and America’s resolve to fight it.