Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum has narrowly escaped an assassination attempt that wounded 20 other people.
Officials say a suicide bomber blew himself up near the general outside a northern mosque where the warlord had been praying for the Eid al-Adha Muslim festival.
General Dostum says he believes al-Qaida was behind the attack. But the Associated Press quotes a Taleban leader saying the Taleban carried out the attack.
Meanwhile a statement purportedly from Taleban leader Mullah Omar dismissed reports that the radical Islamic movement's fighters were willing to lay down arms in exchange for amnesty.
A statement to news agencies says the Taleban will not enter into a dialogue with the Afghan government as long as foreign soldiers remain in Afghanistan.
