The attacks of 11 September 2001 thrust DIA into the war on terrorism in a personal, emotional, and unanticipated way as seven DIA civilian employees were killed and eight more (seven civilian and one military) DIA personnel were wounded when a hijacked American Airlines Boeing 757 was crashed into the Pentagon. The immediate aftermath of this tragedy was for the agency a painful and demanding period of time as DIA's workforce did everything possible for the families of the dead and cared for the wounded and their families. The agency simultaneously "spun up" operationally to take the battle to Al Qaida on a worldwide basis, beginning with the start of Operation Enduring Freedom strikes against Al Qaida and Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan on 7 October 2001.