Afghanistan's ruling Taleban movement on Tuesday denied Russian charges that it backed and trained Islamic militants in the breakaway republic of Chechnya.

But a Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Taleban Islamic movement, which allowed the separatists to open their only world "embassy" in Kabul, would continue to give the militants diplomatic backing. "We defend morally the righteous cause of the Chechens. The utterances by the Russian government are totally baseless," spokesman Faiz Ahmad Faiz told a news briefing. The formula of words used was exactly the same as Pakistan employs to defend itself against charges that it arms and trains Moslem militants battling Indian rule of disputed Kashmir. The spokesman was reacting to comments by a Russian government spokesman who accused the Taleban of supporting Chechen rebels and of providing training bases for "mercenaries" fighting alongside them. The spokesman did not rule out the possibility of launching air strikes on areas of Afghanistan ruled by the Taleban where, he said, Chechen terrorists receive training. The Taleban, accused also by the United States of allowing terrorists to train on the soil it controls, is on the offensive against charges that it nurtures or turns a blind eye to the training of militants on its soil. This month it denied it had given sanctuary to militant Sunni groups responsible for sectarian attacks against the Shi'ite minority in Pakistan, one of only three states that recognise the Taleban as a government. Faiz said the reason for repeated Russian charges was to create tension and exert influence over Central Asia. He brushed aside recent reports from Russia saying Taleban officials and Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden struck a deal with Chechen separatists to send Islamic warriors to Chechnya. He said bin Laden, who lives under Taleban protection and is accused by Washington of terrorism, has neither the authority nor means to fight any government.