HEART: A car bomb Sunday targeting an Afghan police headquarters in the western province of Ghor killed at least 12 civilians and wounded more than 100, officials said.

The attack took place in Feroz Koh, the capital of Ghor, a province that has not seen much violence compared to some other regions of the conflict-wracked country.

"The terrorists detonated an explosives-filled car... as a result 12 civilians were killed and more than 100 people were wounded," the interior ministry said.

Juma Gul Yakoobi, a Ghor health official, told AFP victims also included members of security forces.

The presidency blamed the Taliban for the attack.

"Continuation of violence and attacks by the Taliban will seriously challenge the peace efforts by government of Afghanistan and its international partners," it said.

Peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government began in Qatar last month, but violence has continued unabated on the ground.

Thousands of families were forced to flee from their homes in the restive southern province of Helmand this month as fierce fighting erupted between the Taliban and government forces.

Sporadic fighting continued even on Sunday as government forces pushed with a counter-offensive to retake some of the lost ground in and around the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, officials said.