Taliban after Prince Harry in Afghanistan: report

GlobalPost

Britain's Prince Harry is reportedly being directly targeted by the Taliban during his deployment in Afghanistan, with a spokesman for the radical group telling Agence-France Press Monday that "[w]e will target him and we will kill him," adding, it is "not important for us to kidnap him."

"We will do our best to kill Prince Harry and Britain's other troops based in Helmand," Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP by phone from an unknown location. The report has not been independently confirmed.

The helicopter pilot-trained prince arrived in Afghanistan's Helmand province late Thursday for four months of active service in anti-Taliban operations there, according to the BBC

He joined a unit with the highest "kill rate" in Afghanistan, averaging two suspected Taliban militants killed every week, said the Telegraph. Helmand is one of Afghanistan's most violent provinces, with 17 people found beheaded in the region recently. 

More from GlobalPost: The dangerous political battle for Afghanistan

This video shows the prince in helicopter training in Arizona, where he recently graduated as a "Top Gun," reported The Telegraph.

The 27-year-old is the first member of the Royal Family to serve in active combat since the Falklands war, according to BBC.

This time around, the Royal Family is being very up front about the prince's role in Afghanistan after having to pull him out early on security concerns when the press outed his secret 2007 mission there. The ministry said circumstances this time are very different, according to The Telegraph

Citing royal sources, the paper said the prince, referred to as Captain Wales in the military, was full of "pride and anticipation" to return to Afghanistan four and a half years later. 

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.