Leader of Russia's Ingushetia sacks government

Ingushetia's President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov looks on during a meeting with foreign reporters at the presidential residence in Magas January 27, 2011.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, the leader of Russia's volatile Ingushetia region in the mainly Muslim North Caucasus, sacked the local government on Thursday for the second time in three years.

The decision follows the transfer of Ingush Prime Minister Alexei Vorobyov, who is moving to become part of the Moscow government, a statement said on official site ingushetia.ru. "Yevkurov has sacked the republic's government," it added.

Tiny Ingushetia is Russia's poorest region, and is next to Chechnya, site of two separatist wars since 1994. Like other North Caucasus regions, it is suffering from a growing Islamist insurgency the Kremlin is struggling to quell.

Yevkurov, who narrowly survived a suicide bomb assassination attempt two years ago, has repeatedly said radical Islam fuels the violence as much as rampant corruption.

When he was installed by the Kremlin three years ago, Yevkurov immediately sacked his entire cabinet, pledging to reduce lawlessness.

But critics say they have seen little change, and the region sees shootings, bombings and grenade attacks almost daily.

Though it is common for a regional leader to change the local government following the transfer of a prime minister, experts say Yevkurov is attempting to clamp down again on the widespread graft.

January's suicide bomb attack on Russia's busiest airport, which killed 37, was carried out by 20-year-old Magomed Yevloyev, from Ingushetia.

Last week the Chechen-born rebel leader Doku Umarov threatened in a video address more attacks on major targets across Russia.