Taliban chief Mullah Mohammad Omar has called upon all Muslims to unite against international forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The fugitive Omar issued a rare statement Saturday, calling on Afghan and Iraqi insurgents to put aside sectarian disputes.

"While the oppressor Americans are pounding bombs on innocent people... they are meanwhile attempting to separate Muslims through ethnic, religion and tribal (differences)," the statement quoted Omar as saying.

"I call upon all jihadi leaders, national figures and politicians to join hands and free their beloved countries from the hands of infidel Americans," Omar added.

He further called on the same groups to form a 'pure Islamic government' once international troops are ousted.

"This is America's conspiracy to divide Afghans by the name of (ethnic) Tajik and Pashtuns and in Iraq by the name of Sunni and Shiite in a bid to ease the pressure on themselves, but they are failing," the Taliban chief stressed in the statement.

Omar continued "I'm sure the Americans will be defeated both in Afghanistan and Iraq."

The Taliban leader, who has a 10-million-dollar bounty on his head, headed the 1996-2001 Taliban regime which was ousted by the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

MF/KB