US President Barack Obama has laid a wreath at the site of the collapsed Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre, paying tribute to victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack.

The stop was the culmination of a New York visit in the wake of the US commando raid in Pakistan which killed terror mastermind Osama bin Laden.

The President was accompanied by elected officials from the New York area.

He also laid a wreath at the foot of the Survivor Tree, which was damaged during the attack but was freed from the rubble.

Earlier, Mr Obama visited a fire station which lost 15 firefighters during the attack and called in at a lower Manhattan police station.

Mr Obama declared: "When we say we will never forget, we mean what we say."

He closed his eyes and clasped his hands at the outdoor memorial where the Twin Towers once dominated the Manhattan skyline.

He then shook hands with relatives of the September 11 victims at the site where the skyscrapers were brought down by planes commandeered by bin Laden's followers and nearly 3,000 people were killed.

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