However, our correspondent says the Kremlin has come to see Mr Maskhadov as an acceptable negotiating partner. The Russian security service said it had no information on the involvement of any secret service. A senior Russian official linked the attack to the Chechen authorities' recent crackdown on Islamic fundamentalists in the town of Gudermes. President Yeltsin has offered help in tracking down the perpetrators. No one has claimed responsibility for the assassination attempt.
Correspondents say tensions between rival factions in the country have been on the increase.
Mr Maskhadov recently tightened a state of emergency imposed in June and launched another campaign against a radical Islamic group which had been blamed for a number of violent clashes in Chechnya and neighbouring Dagestan. Until now at least Mr Maskhadov seems to have lived a charmed life. He commanded Chechen fighters during the war for independence from Russia and emerged from the rubble unscathed. Since then, he has battled against rival Chechen gangs who have brought the republic to the brink of anarchy. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.