A Chechen rebel group has claimed responsibility for the assassination bid against the Moscow-appointed president of Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, who was seriously wounded in a bombing. 'This operation was led by the rebel battalion 'Riyadus Salikhiin' under the order of the leadership of the Emirate of the Caucasus,' said a statement posted on the Chechen pro-independence website Kavkazcenter.com. The group claimed it was led by Chechen guerrilla leader Doku Umarov, although Russia media say was killed in a Russia military operation in May. The rebels deny their leader has died. Yevkurov -- appointed by the Kremlin to bring stability to one of Russia's bloodiest regions -- was badly wounded when his motorcade was hit by a car bomb last Monday. His spokesman, Kaloi Akhilgov, said Sunday that the Ingush leader's condition had slightly improved, although he was still under artificial respiration. 'Even though his condition remains serious, the doctors have noted a positive dynamic and are talking about an improvement in the health of the president,' he told Echo of Moscow radio. 