9/11 After 25 Years: The Plotters, Their Roles and Where They Are Today

Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001, attacks, the people who planned and helped execute one of the deadliest terrorist attacks on US soil have met very different fates.

On September 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda members hijacked four commercial aircraft. Two were flown into New York City's World Trade Center towers, another struck the Pentagon near Washington, DC, while the fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to storm the cockpit.

The attacks killed 2,977 people, while thousands more were injured. Many first responders and others exposed to the debris and toxic dust later developed serious health problems.

Of the 19 hijackers, 15 were Saudi nationals, two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was Egyptian and one was Lebanese.

The operation was led by al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, who had made the US a primary target over its policies in the Middle East, including its military presence in the region, support for Israel and involvement in the 1991 Gulf War.

The detailed concept for the attacks is widely attributed to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, an al-Qaeda operative who helped develop the plan and recruit members for the operation. Several of the hijackers travelled to the US before the attacks and received flight training.

The key 9/11 figures and what happened to them

Osama bin Laden

As the leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden was the central figure behind the organisation responsible for the attacks.

Following 9/11, the US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001, removing the Taliban government and disrupting al-Qaeda's base in the country. Bin Laden, however, managed to evade capture for nearly a decade.

He was eventually located at a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. US Navy SEALs raided the compound in May 2011 and killed him.

Ayman al-Zawahiri

Egyptian-born physician Ayman al-Zawahiri was a senior al-Qaeda figure and worked closely with bin Laden. After bin Laden's death in 2011, Zawahiri assumed leadership of the organisation.

He remained a high-priority target for the US until he was killed in a US drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2022.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has identified himself as the principal architect of the September 11 attacks. He was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and later transferred to US custody.

US authorities accuse him of developing and directing the plan to hijack passenger aircraft and use them in attacks against the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

During a military hearing in 2007, Mohammed claimed responsibility for planning the operation from beginning to end, according to a transcript subsequently released by the Pentagon.

He was eventually transferred to the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, where he remains imprisoned.

His case has faced years of delays, including disputes over whether statements and other evidence obtained following his treatment in US custody can be used at trial.

A proposed plea agreement that would have seen Mohammed and two other defendants plead guilty in exchange for life imprisonment was ultimately abandoned in 2025 following opposition from the US government.

Mohammed and three co-defendants are currently scheduled to go on trial in June 2028.

Walid bin Attash

Walid bin Attash is accused of training two of the 9/11 hijackers in close-quarters combat. Prosecutors allege that the training included techniques that could have been used to overpower people aboard the aircraft.

He remains in US custody and is expected to face trial with Mohammed and the other defendants in 2028.

Ramzi bin al-Shibh

Ramzi bin al-Shibh is accused of assisting in the recruitment of several hijackers associated with the Hamburg-based al-Qaeda cell in Germany.

Prosecutors also allege that he served as a communications link between Mohammed Atta, the lead hijacker, and senior al-Qaeda figures.

His proceedings were separated from Mohammed's case in 2023 after a military judge determined that he was not mentally competent to stand trial.

Mustafa al-Hawsawi and Ammar al-Baluchi

Mustafa al-Hawsawi and Ammar al-Baluchi are accused of providing financial assistance to members of the hijacking teams, including facilitating money transfers.

Baluchi is also the nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Both men remain in US custody and are scheduled to face trial alongside Mohammed in 2028.

25 years later

The September 11 attacks reshaped US foreign policy and triggered the global "war on terror", including the US-led invasion of Afghanistan and years of military operations against al-Qaeda and affiliated groups.

While the deaths of bin Laden and al-Zawahiri removed two of al-Qaeda's most prominent leaders, the legal proceedings against several alleged 9/11 plotters have continued for more than two decades.

A quarter-century after the attacks, the cases at Guantanamo remain unresolved, with the 2028 trial date marking the latest attempt to bring the long-running proceedings to a conclusion.