William Burns, nominee for Central Intelligence Agency director, testifies during his Senate Select Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. /AP

William Burns, director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, met with Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul on Monday, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The meeting is believed to be the first face-to-face encounter between a senior U.S. official and the Taliban since they took over Kabul last week.