Operation Allies Refuge is set to start during the last week of July, the White House said.

It comes as the US withdraws its forces from Afghanistan ahead of an 11 September deadline set by President Joe Biden. 

In recent weeks, the Taliban have made rapid advances across the country.

“These are courageous individuals. We want to make sure we recognise and value the role they’ve played over the last several years,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a briefing, BBC reported.

An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Reuters news agency that the initial evacuation will include about 2,500 people who are likely to be housed in military facilities, either in the US or a third country, while their visa applications are processed.

The Special Immigrant Visa program is offered to those who worked with the US government or the American-led military force during the Afghanistan war that began in 2001.

The threat of retaliation has been heightened as the Taliban make rapid advances across the country, seizing a series of border posts from Afghan forces, including crossings with Iran, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.