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Afghanistan updates: US, Taliban hold first direct talks since withdrawal

State Dept. spokesperson Ned Price called the talks "candid and professional."

It's been more than a month since the U.S. withdrew all U.S. troops from Afghanistan on President Joe Biden's order to leave by Aug. 31, ending a chaotic evacuation operation after the Afghan government collapsed and the Taliban seized control of the country.

ABC News Special
ABC News Special
This special dives into the chaotic events of recent weeks, from the U.S. moving personnel out of its embassy to the desperate Afghans who clung to planes in hopes of fleeing the country.
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In testimony to Congress last month, their first since the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Afghanistan -- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley and Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, candidly admitted that they had recommended to Biden that the U.S. should keep a troop presence there, appearing to contradict his assertions to ABC News' George Stephanopoulos.


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Former acting FEMA administrator to lead Afghan refugee resettlement

Bob Fenton, the former acting Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, is set to lead the efforts to resettle Afghans who are coming to the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security said Sunday.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas chose Fenton after President Joe Biden tasked the agency to lead the federal coordinating efforts.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement the resettling group will report directly to Mayorkas and will include a plethora of services from immigration processing to COVID-19 testing.

“The Department of Homeland Security is prepared to serve as the lead federal agency coordinating efforts across the federal government to welcome vulnerable Afghans to our Nation in a way that is consistent with our laws and our values,” Mayorkas said in a statement.

The "Unified Coordination Group" will work with Homeland Security's partners in state and local governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.

-ABC News' Luke Barr


ISIS-K terrorists were loading car with explosives before drone strike, 6 killed, including 4 children: Sources

Two ISIS-K terrorists were seen loading what appeared to be explosives into the trunk of the car that was taken out by a U.S. Hellfire missile, killing both terrorists, a U.S. official told ABC News.

It is not clear whether the plan was to detonate the car itself, or if the explosives were in the form of suicide vests to be taken out and worn for an attack later, the official said.

An Afghan health official told ABC News that six people were killed in the airstrike, including four children.

The military is investigating the reports of civilian casualties, the U.S. official told ABC News. CENTCOM later acknowledged reports of civilian casualties.

"We are aware of reports of civilian casualties following our strike on a vehicle in Kabul today. We are still assessing the results of this strike, which we know disrupted an imminent ISIS-K threat to the airport," Capt. Bill Urban, spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, said in a statement Sunday night. "... We would be deeply saddened by any potential loss of innocent life."

ABC News' Matt Seyler and Aleem Agha


US to host a virtual allied summit on Afghanistan

The United States is scheduled to host a virtual allied summit on Monday to discuss the future of Afghanistan in the days and weeks ahead, according to the State Department.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to lead the virtual summit that will include key U.S. partners, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Qatar, the European Union and NATO, the State Department said in a statement.

"The participants will discuss an aligned approach for the days and weeks ahead," the statement reads.

Following the summit, Blinken is expected to deliver remarks on U.S. and coalition efforts since Aug. 14 to evacuate U.S. personnel, citizens and Afghan supporters out of the country, according to the statement. Blinken, whose remarks are set to be live-streamed at 2:30 p.m., is also expected to "discuss the way forward" in Afghanistan, the statement said.

While representatives of China are not scheduled to attend the summit, Blinken spoke on Sunday with China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi "about the importance of the international community holding the Taliban accountable for the public commitments they have made regarding the safe passage and freedom to travel for Afghans and foreign nationals," the State Department said in a separate statement.

-ABC News’ Conor Finnegan


Makeshift memorial, candlelight vigil in Virginia for 13 troops killed

A makeshift memorial to the 13 service members who were killed in the Kabul bombing continued to grow Sunday at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

A large group gathered there Saturday for a candlelight vigil, according to a social media post from the U.S. Marine Corps.

On Sunday, more people came out to pay tribute to the 11 Marines, soldier and Navy corpsman who died Thursday. Roses were placed and candles were lit.