The Archbishop of Canterbury has joined other Christian and global leaders in marking the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks in the US.
Most Rev Justin Welby said: “Twenty years after the 9/11 attacks, it’s still hard to articulate the sense of shock and horror felt around the world, the devastating loss experienced by so many people, and the fear and uncertainty that terrible day brought.”
In 2001, terrorist group al-Qaeda coordinated a series of four deadly attacks on New York’s Twin Towers and the Pentagon, leaving nearly 3,000 people dead and thousands more injured.
The attacks prompted the US to go to war in Afghanistan, a conflict that came to an end earlier this month following the Taliban’s take over of the country and the US withdrawal.
Archbishop Justin continued: “9/11 was a sharp reminder to us of the fragility of the privilege many of us have of living free of the threat of violence, while many in our world continue to wake to war or the fear of war."
“Today we pray together for all who know the tragedy of loss, for those lives changed forever, for those afflicted by violence and terror, and for the people of Afghanistan who face an uncertain future. May God of all healing guide us together towards the peace offered by the crucified and resurrected Christ,” he concluded.
Her Majesty the Queen has also taken to social media to commemorate the anniversary, she said: “As we mark the 20th anniversary of the terrible attacks on September 11 2001, my thoughts and prayers - and those of my family and the entire nation - remain with the victims, survivors and families affected, as well as the first responders and rescue workers called to duty.
"My visit to the site of the World Trade Centre in 2010 is held fast in my memory. It reminds me that as we honour those from many nations, faiths and backgrounds who lost their lives, we also pay tribute to the resilience and determination of the communities who joined together to rebuild.”
President Joe Biden will visit each of the sites where the planes crashed. Relatives of the victims in the UK will also gather at the September 11th Memorial Garden in London for a service of remembrance.