KABUL, Afghanistan - The Director of the CIA met with the top Taliban leader on Monday, according to The Washington Post.

CIA Director William Burns traveled to the capital of Afghanistan for a covert meeting with Taliban co-founder and deputy leader Abdul Ghani Baradar.

When the Taliban retook control of Kabul, Baradar returned to Afghanistan after having been out of the country for 20 years.

Their conversation marked the highest level in-person discussions between the Biden administration and the Taliban since the group took control of the capital.

The Post reported that the discussions between the two "likely involved" the US's current attempt to airlift American citizens and Afghan allies out of the country before the August 31 deadline.

The U.S. reportedly intensified its evacuation efforts in recent days, getting roughly 21,600 people out of Afghanistan in a 24-hour period that ended early Tuesday morning.

A senior U.S. official described it as "an historic operation in scope and scale."

The Taliban has reportedly described August 31 as a "red line" and threatened consequences if the U.S. delays in its withdrawal from the country.