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Prince Harry climbs up to examine the cockpit of an Apache helicopter with a member of his squadron (name not provided) on Sept. 7 at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. Prince Harry has been redeployed to the region to pilot attack helicopters. (John Stillwell-Pool/Getty Images)
Prince Harry is in the crosshairs of the Afghan Taliban, which said it will do everything in its power to kidnap or kill him during his tour of duty in the country.
Harry is in Afghanistan to fly helicopters with the Royal Air Force and arrived in Helmand province last week.
“We are using all our strength to get rid of him, either by killing or kidnapping,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters on Monday.
Mujahid also said that Taliban leaders “have informed our commanders in Helmand to do whatever they can to eliminate him.” He did not elaborate on what he called the “Harry operations.”
Harry, the grandson to Queen Elizabeth and third in line to the British throne, will be in Afghanistan for a four-month tour.
The U.K. Ministry of Defense told the news agency that Harry would be relatively safe flying helicopters in the restive country.
Over the weekend, the Taliban taunted the U.K. over Harry’s deployment, saying that he would never see combat. It also said “maybe he can atone by showing that he is fighting beside their soldiers in Afghanistan,” referring to the recently leaked photos showing the prince partying in Las Vegas.
“The British Army is under pressure, just like the other forces in Afghanistan, and Britain wants to encourage its soldiers with such actions,” Mujahid told the Daily Telegraph.
