THE pro Moscow Chechen government yesterday backtracked on its assertion that Mr Zelimkhan Yandarbyev, the new leader of the Chechen separatists, had been killed.
"The report is being checked," a government spokesman was quoted as saying by Russian state television.
Meanwhile, the Moscow backed Chechen leader Mr Doku Zavgayev announced that the Russian President, Mr Boris Yeltsin. intended to visit Chechnya at a date to be fixed. The Kremlin said it had "no information" on such a visit.
Chechen separatist officials dismissed the earlier claim by Mr Martagov that Mr Yandarbyev, who took over from the dead rebel leader, Gen Dzhokhar Dudayev, last week, was killed in fighting among rival Chechens on Sunday near the south western town of Urus Martan.
Mr Yusup Soslambekov, chairman of the Confederation of Caucasus Peoples, said the reports of Mr Yandarbyev's death had been put out by the pro Moscow Chechen government to suggest a rift among the rebels.
Mr Doku Makhayev commander of rebel forces in western Chechnya, said yesterday Mr Yandarbyev "is in very good condition. There was no shoot out. It's yet another lie."
Mr Yandarbyev (44), took over as separatist leader after Dudayev was killed on April 21st in a village a few kilometres south of Urus Martan. Separatist leaders say Gen Dudayev (52), died when a Russian air to a round missile locked onto the signal from his satellite telephone.