. >> reporter: central command's general frank mackenzie says the diplomatic sequel now begins, led by secretary of state tony blinken who insists the commitment to afghanistan remains. >> a new chapter of america's engagement with afghanistan has gun. >> reporter: the final hours were, u.s. officials say, the most dangerous. after a massive suicide bombing last week by isis-k that left scores dead including 13 american service americans. early monday morning five rockets were fired at the kabul airport. isis claimed responsibility. the pentagon says its antirocket defense system engaged and no casualties were reported. the vehicle used to launch the rockets turn to ash. it came just hours after u.s. central command said a drone targeted an isis vehicle with a large amount of explosive. the air strike was in a residential kabul neighborhood. >> there was a second explosion that assessed that what was there was going to be used in a high profile attack. >> reporter: but the multiple explosions also killed civilians. a relative told cnn at least ten were killed from a single family. seve

cent-com commander, general frank mackenzie today. the attack today came at the kabul airport after a warning from the u.s. embassy in kabul that was eerily, eerily accurate. i mean, uncannily accurate. this -- this was the warning from the kabul embassy last night, word for word. quote, because of security threats outside the gates of kabul airport, we are advising u.s. citizens to avoid traveling to the airport. to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a u.s. government representative to do so. quote, u.s. citizens who are at the abby gate, the east gate, or the north gate should now leave immediately. leave immediately. just hours after that very explicit warnings, u.s. citizens at the abbey gate should leave immediately. it was hours after that directive when abbey gate was, in fact, where one of the two suicide bombs today detonated. exactly as that warning from the kabul embassy said it would. and while the days-long crush of humanity bottlenecked at the gates of the airport has been an

>> neil, general frank mackenzie flew into kabul to inspect the security today after meeting the taliban in qatar sunday. the pentagon says the 82nd air bon has landed in kabul and haas been put in charge of securing the airport. 1,000 troops arrived last night and the airport resumed military and some civilian flights overnight. >> thought the night, nine c-17s arrived, delivering equipment and approximately 1,000 troops. additionally seven c-17s departed. these flights lifted approximately 700 to 800 passengers. >> the situation remains tenuous and dependent on the taliban who have been seen in videos like these intimidating those trying to make their way to the kabul airport. >> the taliban has informed us they're prepared to provide the safe passage of civilians to the airport. we intend to hold them to that commitment. >> the u.s. military is in communications with the taliban who have set up a cordon around the airport. >> there's been no hostile interactions with the taliban on either our people or our operations. >> the u.s. military is not seeing what is happening around the cit

we know over the weekend the central commander, frank mackenzie, he spoke to taliban commanders in doha, and to have commanders on the ground in kabul talking to taliban now, it's amazing how this has evolved over the last week or ten days, chris. >> let me go to richard haass and pick up from there, and for those that don't understand the intricacies with the taliban and the commanders, what is your assessment on the ground right now? >> the situation on the ground right now is what you are seeing and what you are describing. it's still relatively chaotic, and you have got an immediate situation around the airport and at the borders where people want to escape, and then you have the large you are question of what will be the character and nature of taliban control? how will it be asserted over time? the idea that there are talks between the taliban and u.s. does not shock me, and there's talks about the conditions near the airport, and something different would be the talks about the relationship between the united states and taliban, and i think the taliban are going to have to decide

forces in central command, the cent-com commander, general frank mackenzie, confirmed the toll among u.s. service members. and in so doing, he is a reserved commanding officer and speaks in reserved, almost clipped tones, but in confirming the toll today and briefing the pentagon press corps about what happened. he spoke at one point quietly and in sort of unexpectedly human terms. about the actual work that the . corpsmen and marines were doingd today when they were killed in the line of duty. he talked about the inherently dangerous nature of the actual t person-by-person, hour-by-hour work of what it really means on the ground to run this evacuation airlift. the closeness. the hands-on proximity of what they have been doing. p >> taking a moment to describe the heroism that our marines, soldiers, and sailors are , exhibiting as they screen the people who are coming onto the airfield.he this is close-up war. the breath of the person you aru searching is upon you. while we have over-watch in place, we still have to touch the clothes of the person that's coming in. i think you all ca

mackenzie and the f l. n team on al jazeera frank assessments. by way, it is a welcome again, freedom suppress, informed opinions. what you saw happening is come on to it was $42.00. there was petune is the critical debate that we have here. it's not between kula and any other one that we have concrete here between the 2 years. re running to keep people in depth analysis of the days global headlines inside story on our jazeera we understand the differences. similarities of cultures across the world. so no matter what, i'll just bring you the news and current affairs that matter to you, i'll dizzy. ah, this is al jazeera ah, hello, i'm about this and this is the news i live from doha. coming up in the next 60 minutes. i tell bhaskar military commander order civilians to leave last called god has the army plans to flush out taliban fight.