9/11 Remembrance Photos: Infamous Images Of The Terrorist Attack On 17th Anniversary

Tuesday marks the 17th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on the United States’ soil — when two airplanes controlled by hijackers crashed into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing almost 3,000 people and injuring more than 6,000.

The 9/11 attacks were carried out by al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed in May 2011 during a covert military operation ordered by President Barack Obama.

Speaking after the attacks in 2001, the then-President George W. Bush said in an address: "The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong."

Visuals and pictures of the attacks and their aftermath remain some of the most infamous images of American history, serving as a somber reminder of one of the country's darkest moments. On the 17th anniversary of the attack, here is a look back at some of those pictures.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will head to Shanksville on Tuesday to participate in a remembrance ceremony to honor the victims of the devastating event that continues to reverberate in the minds of people across the nation, even after nearly two decades.

“Certainly the focus will be on remembering that horrific day and remembering the lives that were lost, and certainly honouring the individuals who were not only lost that day, but also put their lives of the line to help in that process,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, Fox News reported.

This will be Trump’s first visit as the POTUS to Shanksville, to commemorate the 9/11 attacks. Due to his schedule, the president will be absent from this year’s Pentagon's Sept. 11 observance this year, which will be attended by Vice President Mike Pence instead.

Last year, the president and his wife observed a minute of silence at the White House surrounded by aides and administration officials around the time the first of the three airplanes hit the Twin Towers in Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001.

Trump also declared Sept. 11 “Patriot Day” to honor the innocent lives lost and those who aided "their fellow citizens in America's time of need."

“On Patriot Day, we honor the nearly 3,000 innocent lives taken from us on September 11, 2001, and all of those who so nobly aided their fellow citizens in America’s time of need. We rededicate ourselves to the ideals that define our country and unite us as one, as we commemorate all the heroes who lost their lives saving others,” a statement from the White House stated last year.

It further added: “September 11, 2001, will forever be one of the most tragic days in American history. Through the unimaginable despair, however, ordinary Americans etched into our history remarkable illustrations of bravery, of sacrifice for one another, and of dedication to our shared values. The shock from the indelible images of the smoke rising from the World Trade Center and Pentagon gave way to countless inspiring videos of co-workers helping one another to safety; of heroes running into collapsing buildings to save the innocent people trapped within; and to the unforgettable story of the patriots who charged the cockpit of Flight 93 to save untold numbers of lives. These heroes moved us with their bravery. They make us proud to be Americans.”