First Afghan evacuees head to US

The first group of Afghans who aided U.S. forces is on the way to the United States to complete the application process for a special visa.

With the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan nearly complete, the Biden administration started “Operation Allies Refuge" to evacuate thousands of Afghan helpers to the U.S. who face the threat of retribution from advancing Taliban forces.

President Joe Biden called their arrival “an important milestone as we continue to fulfill our promise to the thousands of Afghan nationals who served shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops and diplomats over the last 20 years in Afghanistan,” in a statement and said it’s “just the first of many.”

“Welcome home,” Biden added.