Rome [Italy] September 12 (ANI): Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday paid tribute to the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, saying the memory of that day continues to guide Italy's commitment against terrorism and in defence of democratic values.

In a message posted on X on the 24th anniversary of the attacks, Meloni said, 'September 11, 2001, was a date that struck not only the heart of the American people but of the entire West. 24 years have passed since that ferocious terrorist attack and today, as then, my thoughts are directed to the thousands of innocent victims, together with the closeness that, with the entire Italian Government, I wish to express to the families, in the sign of the deep friendship that binds Italy and the United States.'

She wrote that 'Italy does not forget,' stressing that the bond between Rome and Washington remains rooted in shared values of freedom and democracy.

The Italian leader also said that the memory of 9/11 'strengthens our daily action in combating Islamic fundamentalism and every terrorist threat.' She added that Italy's commitment is not only to stand with its allies but also to protect its own constitutional values of liberty and democracy.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday attended a solemn observance ceremony at the Pentagon to mark the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

The attacks claimed the lives of 2,977 people after hijacked planes struck New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. At Ground Zero in New York, the annual tradition of reading aloud the names of those who perished continues, honouring more than 2,700 victims who died in the collapse of the Twin Towers.

The morning of September 11, 2001, began like any other in New York City. Office workers hurried through crowded streets, tourists paused to admire the skyline, and vendors opened their stalls as sunlight glinted off the glass towers.

The rhythm of daily life seemed unshaken--until the sudden roar of jet engines broke the calm, and a plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, turning an ordinary day into the opening chapter of the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil.

After the initial crash, another plane struck the South Tower as onlookers stared at the devastating sight of the two towers turning into rubble in just a few moments.

Another plane tore into the headquarters of the US Department of Defence, the Pentagon, and a fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.

A total of four airliners were hijacked by 19 people, who were on a suicide mission to put a deep scar in the heart of American history.

This attack, which is said to be the biggest terrorist attack in the history of mankind, shook America to its core, with the Twin Towers in New York turned into rubble, as was the spirit of Americans who witnessed it, and also those who lost their loved ones in this tragedy.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed, thousands more injured, and the United States was thrust into a new era of war and security. 9/11 did not erupt from nowhere. It was the culmination of a decade-long confrontation between Osama bin Laden, the leader of the terrorist organisation al-Qaeda, who was responsible for training those 19 hijackers, and the United States. This battle began far from America's shores but was carried to its heart by the organisation. (ANI)