First evacuated Afghans arrive in U.S. as Taliban surges in wake of military withdrawal

The first group of Afghans who worked for the U.S. government and faced retaliation from the Taliban for their efforts arrived in the U.S. early Friday.

The 200 Afghans flew into Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., and were to be bused to an Army base in Virginia for medical screenings, officials said.

They are expected to remain at Fort Lee, about 230 miles south of Washington, for a week.

In a statement, President Joe Biden said the arrivals were "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."

"These arrivals are just the first of many," he said.