Afghan officials say gunmen have shot and killed a senior member of the Afghan peace council, dealing the latest blow to peace negotiations.

Authorities say an unidentified gunman in a car opened fire on Arsala Rahmani Sunday morning in Kabul as he was on his way to work.

Rahmani was a former Taliban official who became a top member of the Afghan peace council set up by President Hamid Karzai to negotiate a peaceful end to more than 10 years of war in Afghanistan. Rahmani served as minister of higher education during the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan.

The Taliban has denied responsibility for Sunday's attack.

The U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said Sunday Rahmani “chose to make a positive contribution to his nation by turning his back on an insurgent movement” that continues to be detrimental to the future of Afghanistan. An ISAF statement says the attack “is clear evidence that those who oppose the legitimate government of Afghanistan have…no interest in supporting the peace process on any level….”

Last September, former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was the head of Mr. Karzai's peace council was assassinated by a suicide bomber.