With talks under way, Taliban claims responsibility for bombing that claimed 12 lives in Afghanistan

A car bomb in central Afghanistan killed at least 12 people — eight members of the security forces and four civilians — and wounded more than 179 on Sunday. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the suicide attack, which was reportedly targeting an intelligence unit compound in the city of Ghazni.

The attack occurred just as Taliban officials were meeting with Afghan leaders in Qatar in an effort to end Afghanistan's wars. It also came just one day after United States peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said the most recent round of negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban in Doha had been "the most productive" since they began in September. He also said that "substantive progress" had been made on the withdrawal of foreign troops, Taliban anti-terror guarantees, and a permanent cease-fire.

Some officials have expressed concern that the attack will harm the talks between the Taliban and Afghan leaders, which were seen as a first step toward opening up negotiations between the Taliban and Afghan government officials. A spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said the bombing was "beyond understanding."

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