Aslan Maskhadov, rebel leader of Russia's republic of Chechnya, denied in a statement on Monday that rebels plotted the assassination of the republic's president,Akhmad Kadyrov.

The statement released on the Cehchenpress Internet site also condemned the assassination and other terrorist acts.

Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov was killed in a stadium blast in Grozny, capital of the republic of Chechnya, a day earlier. Atleast seven people were killed in the blast, including Chairman ofthe Chechen State Council Khusein Isayev, and 57 others wounded.

The blast occurred underneath a VIP-seating area in the Dynamo stadium on Russia's Victory Day holiday to mark the defeat of Nazis in the World War II.