A SECRET Pentagon video showing an air strike in Afghanistan that killed dozens of children is set to be released by the fugitive founder of WikiLeaks.

Julian Assange, the Australian-born man behind the secretive web group, has been in hiding since last week following claims US authorities were ''hunting him''.

US media reported that Pentagon investigators were trying to find him and discourage him from publishing confidential diplomatic cables allegedly leaked to him by a disillusioned intelligence analyst.

While Mr Assange's location is unknown - he may still be in Australia - he has continued to send email and Twitter messages to supporters.

In an email sent on Tuesday, he suggested he would soon release a secret Pentagon video of a US air strike on Granai in western Afghanistan in May last year.